Captain’s Log — Friday, August 28, 2026
Conditions on the Trent-Severn Waterway. Trenton → Georgian Bay, km 0–386.
Sturgeon Lake is the low spot on the system today at -15 cm (-5.7 in) against its usual level for this month. That doesn’t move the chart — it moves what’s under your keel.
All 40 locks and 12 bridges are showing operable on the Parks Canada feed.
1 new navigational warning since yesterday — details below.
Peak season, late half. Water levels begin their late-summer decline and the shallow edges get shallower.
On the water today
| Where | Now | Wind | Today |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trenton Lock 1 — Bay of Quinte |
Mostly Cloudy, 15.6°C | NNW 2 kt (gust 15) | A mix of sun and cloud. |
| Peterborough Locks 19–21 — Otonabee |
Cloudy, 13.0°C | NNW 13 kt (gust 17) | Mainly cloudy with 30 percent chance of showers early this morning. |
| Fenelon Falls Locks 34–35 — Kawartha Lakes |
Cloudy, 13.0°C | NNW 13 kt (gust 17) | A mix of sun and cloud. |
| Orillia Locks 41–42 — Simcoe/Couchiching |
11.3°C | NNW 4 kt (gust 15) | A mix of sun and cloud. |
| Midland Lock 45 — Georgian Bay |
11.3°C | NNW 4 kt (gust 15) | A mix of sun and cloud. |
Sunrise 06:31, sunset 19:57 at Peterborough (Eastern).
Seasonal normal for the date: Low 11. High 23.
Open water — Simcoe and Georgian Bay
The two stretches on the waterway where the forecast actually decides your day.
Lake Simcoe
- Wind: Wind northwest 10 knots becoming light early this evening then becoming southwest 10 near noon Saturday. Wind increasing to southwest 15 Saturday evening.
- Covers: Today Tonight and Saturday.
Observed at the buoy, Aug 28, 2026 4:00 am ET: NNW 13.6 kt, seas 0.3 m (1 ft) at a 2-second period, water 21 °C.
Georgian Bay
- Wind: Wind north 10 knots backing to northwest 10 early this morning then increasing to west 10 to 15 this afternoon. Wind becoming southwest 10 near midnight then increasing to southwest 15 Saturday morning. Wind diminishing to southwest 10 Saturday evening.
- Waves: Waves 0.5 metres or less building to 0.5 to 1 early this evening.
- Weather: Scattered showers Saturday evening with a risk of thunderstorms.
- Covers: Today Tonight and Saturday.
Along the waterway
Reported in the corridor over the last few days. Headlines are the publishers’ own — follow the link for the current state of any story, since these move faster than a daily post can.
- Should Trump Lake in northern Ontario be renamed? Felon Lake? — OrilliaMatters, Aug 27
- Trump signs order to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America as tensions rise — OrilliaMatters, Aug 27
- Rules For Placement Of Election Signs On Public Property In Kawartha Lakes — Kawartha 411, Aug 27
- Erick Watson, Beth And Ruth Handley Remember The Burnt River Bullies Baseball Tournament For Its 50th Anniversary — Kawartha 411, Aug 26
- Olivia Avery From Kawartha Lakes Crowned The CNE’s 2026 Ambassador Of Fairs! — Kawartha 411, Aug 25
Water levels
Each gauge is compared against its own historical average for this month. The deviation is the number that matters — gauge datum is not chart datum, so the reading itself won’t tell you a depth, but the change from normal tells you how today compares to a typical day this time of year.
| Gauge | Pool | vs. normal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trenton | Bay of Quinte to Lock 1 | -3 cm (-1.3 in) | 🔵 |
| Lower Glen Ross | Lock 6 to Lock 8 Pool | +6 cm (+2.5 in) | 🟢 |
| Upper Glen Ross | Lock 8 to Lock 11 Pool | +6 cm (+2.2 in) | 🟢 |
| Crowe River | Crowe River Tributary | +10 cm (+3.8 in) | 🟢 |
| Indian River | Indian River to Rice Lake | +7 cm (+2.6 in) | 🟢 |
| Otonabee / Peterborough | Rice Lake to Lock 20 Pool | +1 cm (+0.6 in) | 🔵 |
| Sturgeon Lake | Sturgeon Lake / Fenelon Falls Pool | -15 cm (-5.7 in) | 🔴 |
| Burnt River | Burnt River to Balsam Lake | +9 cm (+3.4 in) | 🟢 |
| Gull River | Gull River to Balsam Lake | +7 cm (+2.8 in) | 🟢 |
| Head River | Head River to Lake Simcoe | +8 cm (+3.3 in) | 🟢 |
| Severn / Couchiching | Lake Couchiching Outflow | +12 cm (+4.6 in) | 🟢 |
| Wasdell Falls | Sparrow Lake to Big Chute Pool | +2 cm (+0.7 in) | 🔵 |
🔴 more than 10 cm low · 🟠 5–10 cm low · 🔵 within 5 cm of normal · 🟢 above normal. Live readings and 30-day charts →
Locks and bridges
All 40 locks and 12 bridges on the Parks Canada feed are reporting operable.
Parks Canada status last synced 2026-08-28 04:50:05 ET.
Sécurité — navigational warnings
4 warning(s) published in the last seven days:
- NW-C-3765-26 — Lonely Island — Other, 2026-08-27
Vicinity: Lonely Island Category: Vessel Adrift White vessel 11 metres in length reported adrift in the vicinity of 45 36N 081 18.7W at 271200 UTC Aug 2026. Charts: 2235(NAD83), 2245(NAD83) - NW-C-3696-26 — Washago — Channel Obstruction, 2026-08-24
Vicinity: Washago Category: Buoys Aids: Washago outer light buoy S283 LL 1374 Unlit Charts: 2028(NAD83) - NW-C-3682-26 — Meaford — Other, 2026-08-24
Vicinity: Meaford Category: MCTS VHF Services Sarnia MCTS. All services located at Meaford operating intermittently weekdays from 1200 UTC until 2000 UTC beginning 24 Aug 2026 until 04 Sep 2026 for maintenance. Charts: 2283(WGS84) - NW-C-3671-26 — Meaford Harbour — Other, 2026-08-23
Vicinity: Meaford Harbour Category: Dredging Operation Dredging operations taking place Monday to Saturday from 1200 UTC to 2200 UTC in Meaford harbour beginning 24 Aug 2026. Barge and excavator on site. Charts: 2283(WGS84)
Sources: Environment and Climate Change Canada (weather, marine and hydrometric data, Open Government Licence — Canada); Parks Canada Trent-Severn Waterway lockstation status; Canadian Coast Guard NAVWARNs; regional news headlines as published and linked to their sources. Water gauge readings are on assumed datum and are not chart datum.
This is not a substitute for official sources. Conditions change faster than any daily post. Check Parks Canada before you travel and carry current charts.
Compiled 2026-08-28 06:00 ET from live feeds.