Captain’s Log — Monday, September 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 -14 cm (-5.7 in) against its usual level for this month. Otonabee / Peterborough, Burnt River are also running low. 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.
2 new navigational warnings since yesterday — details below.
Shoulder season. Traffic thins, lock hours start shrinking, and the nights get cold enough to matter.
On the water today
| Where | Now | Wind | Today |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trenton Lock 1 — Bay of Quinte |
Mostly Cloudy, 12.8°C | N 4 kt (gust 15) | Mainly cloudy. |
| Peterborough Locks 19–21 — Otonabee |
Cloudy, 13.2°C | N 4 kt (gust 16) | Cloudy. |
| Fenelon Falls Locks 34–35 — Kawartha Lakes |
Cloudy, 13.2°C | N 4 kt (gust 16) | Cloudy. |
| Orillia Locks 41–42 — Simcoe/Couchiching |
13.9°C | NNE 5 kt (gust 16) | Mainly cloudy. |
| Midland Lock 45 — Georgian Bay |
13.9°C | NNE 5 kt (gust 16) | Mainly cloudy. |
Sunrise 07:07, sunset 19:00 at Peterborough (Eastern).
Seasonal normal for the date: Low plus 5. High 17.
Open water — Simcoe and Georgian Bay
The two stretches on the waterway where the forecast actually decides your day.
Lake Simcoe
- Wind: Wind northeast 10 knots backing to north 10 near noon then becoming light early this evening. Wind becoming south 10 Tuesday evening.
- Weather: Scattered showers today.
- Covers: Today Tonight and Tuesday.
Observed at the buoy, Sep 28, 2026 4:00 am ET: NE 7.8 kt, seas 0.2 m (0.7 ft) at a 2-second period, water 17.8 °C.
Georgian Bay
- Wind: Wind northeast 10 knots becoming light near noon then becoming south 10 Tuesday evening.
- Waves: Waves 0.5 metres or less.
- 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.
- Police seize more than $1M in opioids destined for Kawartha Lakes — OrilliaMatters, Sep 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 | +1 cm (+0.6 in) | 🔵 |
| Lower Glen Ross | Lock 6 to Lock 8 Pool | -5 cm (-2.0 in) | 🟠 |
| Upper Glen Ross | Lock 8 to Lock 11 Pool | +2 cm (+0.7 in) | 🔵 |
| Crowe River | Crowe River Tributary | +6 cm (+2.5 in) | 🟢 |
| Indian River | Indian River to Rice Lake | -1 cm (-0.5 in) | 🔵 |
| Otonabee / Peterborough | Rice Lake to Lock 20 Pool | -14 cm (-5.4 in) | 🔴 |
| Sturgeon Lake | Sturgeon Lake / Fenelon Falls Pool | -14 cm (-5.7 in) | 🔴 |
| Burnt River | Burnt River to Balsam Lake | -13 cm (-5.2 in) | 🔴 |
| Gull River | Gull River to Balsam Lake | +3 cm (+1.2 in) | 🔵 |
| Head River | Head River to Lake Simcoe | +3 cm (+1.1 in) | 🔵 |
| Severn / Couchiching | Lake Couchiching Outflow | +1 cm (+0.6 in) | 🔵 |
| Wasdell Falls | Sparrow Lake to Big Chute Pool | +11 cm (+4.2 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 2026-09-28 04:50:05 ET.
Sécurité — navigational warnings
6 warning(s) published in the last seven days:
- NW-C-4139-26 — Midland — Other, 2026-09-27
Vicinity: Midland Category: Deadhead Adrift Deadhead reported adrift in the vicinity of 44 46.246N 079 49.222W at 271820 UTC Sep 2026. Deadhead is visible 25 centimetres above the surface. Charts: 2202(NAD83), 2241(NAD83) - NW-C-4135-26 — Tobermory — Channel Obstruction, 2026-09-27
Vicinity: Tobermory Category: Buoys Orange and white buoy adrift in the vicinity of 45 15.4N 081 40.4W at 271350 UTC Sep 2026. Charts: 2274(WGS84) - NW-C-4127-26 — Thornbury — Floating Debris, 2026-09-26
Vicinity: Thornbury Category: Obstruction (Other) Floating section of wastewater pipe and concrete blocks reported in the vicinity of 44 34.01N 080 25.695W. Reflective strips, 4 orange flashing lights and 2 radar reflectors on obstruction. Wide berth requested. Charts: 2283(WGS84) - NW-C-4118-26 — Midland — Channel Obstruction, 2026-09-25
Vicinity: Midland Category: Obstruction (Other) Deadhead reported in the vicinity of 44 46.06N 079 49.26W at 251633 UTC Sep 2026. Deadhead is visible 0.25 metres above the surface. Charts: 2202(NAD83), 2241(NAD83) - NW-C-4117-26 — Midland — Other, 2026-09-25
Vicinity: Midland Category: Deadhead Adrift Deadhead reported adrift in the vicinity of 44 46.06N 079 49.26W at 251633 UTC Sep 2026. Deadhead is visible 0.25 metres above the surface. Charts: 2202(NAD83), 2241(NAD83) - NW-C-4101-26 — Rose Island — Other, 2026-09-24
Vicinity: Rose Island Category: Scientific Moorings Scientific mooring temporarily established at 45 19.763N 080 07.393W, unlit. Charts: 2202(NAD83), 2203(NAD83), 2224(NAD83), 2225(NAD27); Horizontal positions are based on 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 2026-09-28 06:00 ET from live feeds.