The Lutter (Ems-Lutter) rises partly above the Brackwede station, partly below the station, flows from there over 26.5 km mainly in a south-westerly direction through Quelle, Ummeln, Isselhorst, Gütersloh-Blankenhagen, Marienfeld and Harsewinkel and flows into Harsewinkel in the Ems.
The source is in a small piece of no man's land, which is formed as a triangle by Ostwestfalendamm, Osnabrücker Straße and Carl-Severing-Straße. At the source there is a wooden platform from which the somewhat overgrown area can be viewed. Access is on Osnabrücker Straße, from where a pedestrian tunnel also leads to Brackwede train station.