Salmon Hole (West River)

Salmon Hole on the West River sits along the stretch of the West River below Ball Mountain Dam in Jamaica, Windham County. The West River above and below the dam is a flow-controlled release corridor managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; on release weekends (scheduled whitewater releases in spring and fall) the river comes up fast and what looks like a calm pool becomes a swiftwater channel with real paddle traffic. On normal summer days the river runs low and cold, with a mix of deep pockets and rocky shallows that locals have used for swimming for generations. There is no lifeguard and no signed access; park in a allowed pull-off, respect private-land boundaries, and check the Ball Mountain Dam release schedule before any visit. For a supervised West River day, Jamaica State Park's day-use area is the better-known choice.