Little Salmon River (Lake Ontario) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Little Salmon River |
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Location of the mouth of the Little Salmon River in New York State
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| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| County | Oswego County |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | North Branch Little Salmon R. Town of Albion 43°28′08″N 75°58′32″W / 43.46889°N 75.97556°W |
| 2nd source | South Branch Little Salmon R. Town of Amboy 43°22′26″N 75°56′47″W / 43.37389°N 75.94639°W |
| River mouth | Lake Ontario Town of Mexico 43°31′27″N 76°15′31″W / 43.52417°N 76.25861°W |
| Basin features | |
| Basin size | 85 sq mi (220 km2) |
| Tributaries |
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The Little Salmon River is a small river in New York State. It flows into Lake Ontario. You can find it in Oswego County. It joins Lake Ontario about 4 miles (6.4 km) southwest of the bigger Salmon River.
Long ago, the Iroquois people called this river Cas-son-ta-che-go-na. This name meant 'river of great bark'. It might have referred to large pieces of bark used for building. People also used to call it Salmon Creek or Little Salmon Creek. Its official name, Little Salmon River, was chosen in 1905.
Where the River Flows
The Little Salmon River collects water from a large area. This area is called its watershed. It covers about 85 square miles (220 km²). Most of this land is used for farming or homes.
The river starts where two smaller streams meet. These are the North Branch Little Salmon River and the South Branch Little Salmon River. They join together in the eastern part of the town of Mexico. This spot is west of the village of Parish.
From there, the river flows northwest. It passes through the village of Mexico. It also goes by the small community of Texas. Finally, it empties into Lake Ontario at a place called Mexico Point.
Fishing in the River
The lower part of the Little Salmon River is home to many fish. You can find fish like brown bullhead and white suckers here. There are also rock bass, largemouth bass, and northern pike.
Every fall, some fish from Lake Ontario swim up the river. They do this to lay their eggs. These fish include Chinook salmon and coho salmon. You might also see steelhead and brown trout. In 2015, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation added 3,410 steelhead to the river. These fish were about 6 inches (15 cm) long.
Most of the land along the river is privately owned. This means you can't always access the river to fish. However, there are two public spots near the river's mouth. These are Mexico Point State Park and the Mexico Point Boat Launch.
