Lock 04 — Lock 04 – Batawa

Lock 04 sits on the Trent River at Kilometre 8.3, roughly 2.3 km1.4 miles upstream of Lock 03 at Glen Miller and 2.1 km1.2 miles below Lock 05 at Trent. This is one of the quieter stations on the lower waterway — a secluded, rural lockstation with a small land base, tucked into a river valley where the approach can deliver surprises. The dam adjacent to the lock generates strong crosscurrents, and the valley’s topography funnels wind unpredictably; the flag flying at the top of the lock may show entirely different conditions from what you experience below. Northbound vessels ascending from Trenton encounter Batawa as their fourth lockage on the 386-kilometre240-mile journey toward Georgian Bay.

Lock 04 was constructed as part of the Ontario–Rice Lake Division of the Trent-Severn Waterway, one of seven contract sections covering Locks 1 through 18 that were built between approximately 1907 and 1918 to complete the connection from Lake Ontario to Rice Lake. The link to Trenton opened in 1918, making through-navigation possible for the first time on this section. The specific contractor for the Lock 04 section has not been confirmed from available sources — adjacent sections were built by Larkin & Sangster (Locks 1–2) and Rogers & Dennon (Lock 5). One of the three restored Waterway lockmaster houses stands at this site today, serving as both the lock station office and the location of public washrooms.

Arriving at Batawa, boaters find a compact but peaceful lockstation set in a rural landscape. Both below and above the lock, painted blue lines on the east wall mark the designated tie-up zones, with space for a few boats on either side. The grounds are modest compared to the larger stations downstream, but the quiet setting and the views of the Batawa Ski Hill rising above the lock make this a pleasant stop. Submerged natural gas pipelines cross beneath the navigation channel south of the lock — CHS Sailing Directions explicitly caution boaters not to anchor in that area. With no electricity, no fuel, and limited facilities, Batawa rewards self-sufficient cruisers looking for a tranquil overnight between the busier stops at Glen Miller and Frankford.

📍 GPS: 44.1681178°N, 77.5884711°W · Get Directions ↗ · Street View ↗

For navigation, use CHS Chart #2021 — this map is for reference only and should not be used for marine navigation.

Boater Orientation Notes:

• Lock 4 sits in the planned village of Batawa (~300 residents) — no walkable commercial services within 1 km of the lock.
• Frankford village (~3.5 km north, ~5-min drive) is the primary service hub for grocery, dining, hardware, and laundry.
• Excellent walkable attractions: Batawa Riverfront Trail (~200 m), Batawa Lofts heritage landmark (~600 m), and Ski Hill trails (~1.2 km).
• Old Bank Café in Frankford is closed Mon—Tue; Riverside Restaurant is the top-rated option for dinner.
• No marine chandlery or confirmed propane fill within scope — call Rose Home Hardware to verify propane availability.

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Last Updated: March 18, 2026

This one can bite you. Brought a main ship in here one time and got tossed sideways pretty good — there’s significant current coming off the dam, and you can get heavy winds both above and below the lock that are often flowing in different directions. PAY ATTENTION TO THE FLAG here and watch your currents on approach. Cross-flows between wind and dam discharge are the issue — don’t assume what’s pushing you above the lock is the same thing pushing you below it. On the operational side, if you’re traveling in the shoulder seasons you’re probably picking up your second crew at Batawa — they’ll work you through Locks 04, 05, and 06. You’re also still going to be with the same few boats you left Lock 01 with; not many people break out of that group through this stretch. Tip of the day stays the same: pick good operators back at Lock 01, because you’re still with them here. The lock itself is manageable once you’ve read the wind and current correctly — just don’t come in casual.

Weather data for navigation planning purposes only. Always check Environment and Climate Change Canada’s official marine forecast before making operational decisions. weather.gc.ca ↗