Captain’s Log — Monday, August 31, 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 (-5.9 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 |
Fog, 15.4°C | NE 2 kt (gust 16) | Cloudy. |
| Peterborough Locks 19–21 — Otonabee |
Rain, 17.3°C | NE 2 kt (gust 18) | Cloudy. |
| Fenelon Falls Locks 34–35 — Kawartha Lakes |
Rain, 17.3°C | NE 2 kt (gust 18) | Cloudy. |
| Orillia Locks 41–42 — Simcoe/Couchiching |
18.2°C | S 4 kt (gust 17) | Cloudy. |
| Midland Lock 45 — Georgian Bay |
18.2°C | S 4 kt (gust 17) | Cloudy. |
Sunrise 06:35, sunset 19:52 at Peterborough (Eastern).
Seasonal normal for the date: Low 11. High 22.
Open water — Simcoe and Georgian Bay
The two stretches on the waterway where the forecast actually decides your day.
Lake Simcoe
- Wind: Wind southwest 10 knots backing to southeast 10 early this morning then becoming light near noon. Wind light tonight and Tuesday.
- Weather: Showers ending Tuesday morning with a risk of thunderstorms. Fog patches forming near midnight and dissipating Tuesday morning.
- Covers: Today Tonight and Tuesday.
Observed at the buoy, Aug 31, 2026 5:00 am ET: S 9.7 kt, seas 0.2 m (0.7 ft) at a 2-second period, water 20.9 °C.
Georgian Bay
- Wind: Wind southeast 10 knots increasing to southeast 15 early this morning then diminishing to south 10 near noon. Wind becoming light early this evening then becoming west 10 Tuesday morning. Wind backing to south 10 Tuesday evening.
- Waves: Waves 0.5 metres or less building to 0.5 to 1 this morning then subsiding to 0.5 or less this afternoon.
- Weather: Showers ending Tuesday morning. Risk of thunderstorms today and tonight. Scattered showers Tuesday evening with a risk of thunderstorms. Fog patches.
- Covers: Today Tonight and Tuesday.
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.
- Séan McCann brings ‘Sink or Swim’ ashore in Penetanguishene — OrilliaMatters, Aug 30
- Google Maps to display Lake Ontario as Lake America in U.S. — OrilliaMatters, Aug 30
- Kawartha Lakes Recognizes Local Environmental Heroes — Kawartha 411, Aug 30
- ‘Now and Always’: Doug Ford unveils Lake Ontario sign amid U.S. tariff war — OrilliaMatters, Aug 29
- Distracted Driving Blitz In Kawartha Lakes Results In 15 Charges — Kawartha 411, Aug 28
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 | -4 cm (-1.4 in) | 🔵 |
| Lower Glen Ross | Lock 6 to Lock 8 Pool | -1 cm (-0.4 in) | 🔵 |
| Upper Glen Ross | Lock 8 to Lock 11 Pool | +3 cm (+1.2 in) | 🔵 |
| Crowe River | Crowe River Tributary | -8 cm (-3.0 in) | 🟠 |
| Indian River | Indian River to Rice Lake | +6 cm (+2.2 in) | 🟢 |
| Otonabee / Peterborough | Rice Lake to Lock 20 Pool | +0 cm (+0.2 in) | 🔵 |
| Sturgeon Lake | Sturgeon Lake / Fenelon Falls Pool | -15 cm (-5.9 in) | 🔴 |
| Burnt River | Burnt River to Balsam Lake | +16 cm (+6.1 in) | 🟢 |
| Gull River | Gull River to Balsam Lake | +8 cm (+3.0 in) | 🟢 |
| Head River | Head River to Lake Simcoe | +8 cm (+3.0 in) | 🟢 |
| Severn / Couchiching | Lake Couchiching Outflow | +12 cm (+4.7 in) | 🟢 |
| Wasdell Falls | Sparrow Lake to Big Chute Pool | +3 cm (+1.3 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 2026-08-31 05:10:03 ET.
Sécurité — navigational warnings
2 warning(s) published in the last seven days:
- NW-C-3811-26 — Killarney — Other, 2026-08-31
Vicinity: Killarney Category: Diving Operation Crewed submersible diving operations taking place from 311200 UTC Aug 2026 until 312130 UTC Aug 2026 at 45 57.6N 081 29.9W. Orange and white dive support boat on scene. Charts: 2204(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)
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 2026-08-31 06:18 ET from live feeds.