The Salmon River flows 44 miles westward from its headwaters in the Tug Hill region of Lewis County through Oswego County before emptying into eastern Lake Ontario at Port Ontario. This tributary of Lake Ontario ranks as one of the premier sport fisheries in the northeastern United States, earning recognition as the most heavily fished of New York's Lake Ontario tributaries. The river features diverse water characteristics throughout its length, from heavily forested, sparsely populated upper reaches with extremely high water quality, to the world-class fishing section below the Lighthouse Hill Dam in Altmar. With 12 miles of Public Fishing Rights easements providing extensive angler access, the river has set two major fish records: the Great Lakes record Chinook salmon at 47 pounds 13 ounces and the world record Coho salmon weighing 33 pounds 4 ounces. Two hydroelectric dams regulate flow on the river, and it passes over the dramatic 110-foot Salmon River Falls before reaching the lake.