The coastal water is a space where salmon (Oncorhynchus keta), critical energy-conveying mediator, stay to adapt to different environments while traveling between ocean and river ecosystems for spawning and growth. The mid-eastern coast of Korea (MECW) is the southern limit of salmon distributed in the North Pacific Ocean. Understanding the distribution and migration characteristics of salmon in the MECW is important for the prediction of changes in the amount and distribution of salmon related to changes in the future marine environment. We analyzed the relationship between the salmon migratory timing ascending the Wangpi river and change in vertical seawater temperature and tidal elevation. Overall results highlight that (1) Salmon began to ascend the river when the sea surface water temperature (SST) decreased below 20°C; (2) The number of salmon ascending the river increased when the temperature difference between the upper and lower layers decreased, but decreased when the temperature difference was higher than 5°C; (3) The number of salmon ascending the river peaked, when the SST was 18°C-19°C and sea levels rose at high tide. This study provide important insight into predicting changes in the ecosystem energy circulation through climate change at its southern distribution limit.