Captain’s Log — Tuesday, September 29, 2026
Conditions on the Trent-Severn Waterway. Trenton → Georgian Bay, km 0–386.
Burnt River is the low spot on the system today at -15 cm (-6.0 in) against its usual level for this month. Sturgeon Lake, Otonabee / Peterborough 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.
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 |
Cloudy, 14.4°C | — | Cloudy. |
| Peterborough Locks 19–21 — Otonabee |
Cloudy, 14.7°C | — | Cloudy. |
| Fenelon Falls Locks 34–35 — Kawartha Lakes |
Cloudy, 14.7°C | — | Cloudy. |
| Orillia Locks 41–42 — Simcoe/Couchiching |
13.2°C | NW 2 kt (gust 16) | A mix of sun and cloud. |
| Midland Lock 45 — Georgian Bay |
13.2°C | NW 2 kt (gust 16) | Cloudy. |
Sunrise 07:08, sunset 18:58 at Peterborough (Eastern).
Seasonal normal for the date: Low plus 5. High 16.
Open water — Simcoe and Georgian Bay
The two stretches on the waterway where the forecast actually decides your day.
Lake Simcoe
- Wind: Wind light becoming south 10 knots this evening. Wind south 10 Wednesday.
- Covers: Today Tonight and Wednesday.
Observed at the buoy, Sep 29, 2026 4:00 am ET: N 3.9 kt, seas 0 m (0 ft) at a 2-second period, water 17.9 °C.
Georgian Bay
- Wind: Wind light becoming south 10 knots this evening then increasing to south 15 overnight. Wind south 15 Wednesday.
- Waves: Waves 0.5 metres or less building to 1 Wednesday morning.
- Weather: Scattered showers Wednesday afternoon and evening.
- Covers: Today Tonight and Wednesday.
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.
- Town not footing bill to pull excavators out of Georgian Bay — OrilliaMatters, Sep 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 | -10 cm (-3.8 in) | 🟠 |
| Lower Glen Ross | Lock 6 to Lock 8 Pool | -4 cm (-1.8 in) | 🔵 |
| Upper Glen Ross | Lock 8 to Lock 11 Pool | +2 cm (+0.9 in) | 🔵 |
| Crowe River | Crowe River Tributary | +6 cm (+2.5 in) | 🟢 |
| Indian River | Indian River to Rice Lake | -1 cm (-0.4 in) | 🔵 |
| Otonabee / Peterborough | Rice Lake to Lock 20 Pool | -12 cm (-4.9 in) | 🔴 |
| Sturgeon Lake | Sturgeon Lake / Fenelon Falls Pool | -14 cm (-5.5 in) | 🔴 |
| Burnt River | Burnt River to Balsam Lake | -15 cm (-6.0 in) | 🔴 |
| Gull River | Gull River to Balsam Lake | +3 cm (+1.3 in) | 🔵 |
| Head River | Head River to Lake Simcoe | +3 cm (+1.0 in) | 🔵 |
| Severn / Couchiching | Lake Couchiching Outflow | +2 cm (+0.9 in) | 🔵 |
| Wasdell Falls | Sparrow Lake to Big Chute Pool | +11 cm (+4.3 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 2026-09-29 05:00:03 ET.
Sécurité — navigational warnings
3 warning(s) published in the last seven days:
- 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 2026-09-29 06:00 ET from live feeds.