Which lake is the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere?

The Great Salt Lake is the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere.

Located in northern Utah, it is an endorheic lake, meaning rivers flow into it but no river carries water out. The Bear, Weber, and Jordan rivers provide most of its inflow; evaporation leaves dissolved minerals behind, making the water much saltier than seawater. Its salinity changes considerably as the lake rises and falls.

The lake is a remnant of prehistoric Lake Bonneville, which covered much of western Utah during the Ice Age. When Bonneville receded, it left several smaller bodies, including the Great Salt Lake, Utah Lake, and Sevier Lake. Because the Great Salt Lake is extremely shallow, its surface area can change dramatically with drought, precipitation, and upstream water use. That fluctuation also affects its islands, wildlife habitat, and famous lake-effect snow around the Wasatch Front.