Captain’s Log — Sunday, August 30, 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 (-6.0 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 |
Light Rainshower, 20.1°C | SSW 4 kt (gust 15) | Cloudy. |
| Peterborough Locks 19–21 — Otonabee |
Cloudy, 16.7°C | WSW 3 kt (gust 18) | Cloudy. |
| Fenelon Falls Locks 34–35 — Kawartha Lakes |
Cloudy, 16.7°C | WSW 3 kt (gust 18) | Cloudy. |
| Orillia Locks 41–42 — Simcoe/Couchiching |
18.0°C | NNW 5 kt (gust 17) | Showers. |
| Midland Lock 45 — Georgian Bay |
18.0°C | NNW 5 kt (gust 17) | Showers. |
Sunrise 06:34, sunset 19:54 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 west 10 knots becoming light early this morning then becoming southeast 10 Monday morning.
- Weather: Scattered showers ending this evening. Scattered showers Monday with a risk of thunderstorms.
- Covers: Today Tonight and Monday.
Observed at the buoy, Aug 30, 2026 4:00 am ET: NNW 11.7 kt, seas 0.2 m (0.7 ft) at a 2-second period, water 20.8 °C.
Georgian Bay
- Wind: Wind west 10 knots backing to southwest 10 early this morning then becoming light near noon. Wind becoming southeast 10 early this evening then increasing to southeast 15 Monday morning.
- Waves: Waves 0.5 metres or less building to 0.5 to 1 Monday morning.
- Weather: Scattered showers ending this evening. Showers Monday with a risk of thunderstorms. Fog patches forming near midnight.
- Covers: Today Tonight and Monday.
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.
- ‘Now and Always’: Doug Ford unveils Lake Ontario sign amid U.S. tariff war — OrilliaMatters, Aug 29
- COLUMN: Bets, boats and a war canoe championship rock Orillia — OrilliaMatters, Aug 29
- Distracted Driving Blitz In Kawartha Lakes Results In 15 Charges — Kawartha 411, Aug 28
- Rules For Placement Of Election Signs On Public Property In Kawartha Lakes — Kawartha 411, Aug 27
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 (-1.0 in) | 🔵 |
| Lower Glen Ross | Lock 6 to Lock 8 Pool | -2 cm (-0.9 in) | 🔵 |
| Upper Glen Ross | Lock 8 to Lock 11 Pool | +2 cm (+1.0 in) | 🔵 |
| Crowe River | Crowe River Tributary | +6 cm (+2.4 in) | 🟢 |
| Indian River | Indian River to Rice Lake | +6 cm (+2.3 in) | 🟢 |
| Otonabee / Peterborough | Rice Lake to Lock 20 Pool | -0 cm (-0.0 in) | 🔵 |
| Sturgeon Lake | Sturgeon Lake / Fenelon Falls Pool | -15 cm (-6.0 in) | 🔴 |
| Burnt River | Burnt River to Balsam Lake | +13 cm (+5.0 in) | 🟢 |
| Gull River | Gull River to Balsam Lake | +10 cm (+4.1 in) | 🟢 |
| Head River | Head River to Lake Simcoe | +6 cm (+2.5 in) | 🟢 |
| Severn / Couchiching | Lake Couchiching Outflow | +13 cm (+5.1 in) | 🟢 |
| Wasdell Falls | Sparrow Lake to Big Chute Pool | +4 cm (+1.4 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 2026-08-30 04:50:07 ET.
Sécurité — navigational warnings
2 warning(s) published in the last seven days:
- NW-C-3792-26 — Meaford — Downed Tree, 2026-08-29
Vicinity: Meaford Category: Log Adrift Tree reported adrift in the vicinity of 44 36.5N 080 34.6W at 291258 UTC Aug 2026. Tree is 3.5 metres long by 2 metres wide. Charts: 2283(WGS84) - 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)
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 2026-08-30 06:00 ET from live feeds.