Captain’s Log — Thursday, October 1, 2026
Conditions on the Trent-Severn Waterway. Trenton → Georgian Bay, km 0–386.
Open water first: strong wind warning on Georgian Bay; strong wind warning on Georgian Bay. If your day involves the crossing, check the marine forecast below before you commit to it.
Crowe River is the low spot on the system today at -20 cm (-7.9 in) against its usual level for this month. Burnt River is 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.
1 new navigational warning since yesterday — details below.
Season’s end. Confirm lock hours before you move; the system drains down after closing.
On the water today
| Where | Now | Wind | Today |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trenton Lock 1 — Bay of Quinte |
Cloudy, 17.5°C | SSW 6 kt (gust 15) | Cloudy with 60 percent chance of showers. |
| Peterborough Locks 19–21 — Otonabee |
Light Rain, 16.6°C | S 5 kt (gust 15) | Cloudy with 60 percent chance of showers. |
| Fenelon Falls Locks 34–35 — Kawartha Lakes |
Light Rain, 16.6°C | S 5 kt (gust 15) | Showers ending near noon then cloudy with 40 percent chance of showers. |
| Orillia Locks 41–42 — Simcoe/Couchiching |
15.9°C | S 5 kt (gust 16) | Showers ending near noon then cloudy with 40 percent chance of showers. |
| Midland Lock 45 — Georgian Bay |
15.9°C | S 5 kt (gust 16) | Showers. |
Sunrise 07:11, sunset 18:55 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 southwest 10 knots veering to northwest 10 near midnight then increasing to northwest 15 Friday morning.
- Weather: Periods of rain ending Friday morning.
- Covers: Today Tonight and Friday.
Observed at the buoy, Oct 1, 2026 4:00 am ET: SSW 15.6 kt, seas 0.6 m (2 ft) at a 3-second period, water 17.7 °C.
Georgian Bay
⚠ Strong wind warning, Strong wind warning — in effect.
- Wind: Wind southwest 20 knots diminishing to southwest 15 early this morning and to southwest 10 late this morning. Wind increasing to northwest 15 this evening then diminishing to northwest 10 overnight. Wind increasing to northwest 20 Friday afternoon then diminishing to north 15 Friday evening.
- Waves: Waves 0.5 to 1 metre.
- Weather: Periods of rain ending this evening. Fog patches forming near noon and dissipating this evening.
- Covers: Today Tonight and Friday.
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.
- From candy to purses, Lake Ontario merchandise a hit with consumers — OrilliaMatters, Sep 30
- Kawartha Lakes Recognizes The Power Of Mentorship With Big Brothers Big Sisters Month — Kawartha 411, Sep 29
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 | +21 cm (+8.2 in) | 🟢 |
| Lower Glen Ross | Lock 6 to Lock 8 Pool | +0 cm (+0.2 in) | 🔵 |
| Upper Glen Ross | Lock 8 to Lock 11 Pool | +3 cm (+1.0 in) | 🔵 |
| Crowe River | Crowe River Tributary | -20 cm (-7.9 in) | 🔴 |
| Indian River | Indian River to Rice Lake | +2 cm (+0.8 in) | 🔵 |
| Otonabee / Peterborough | Rice Lake to Lock 20 Pool | -10 cm (-3.9 in) | 🟠 |
| Sturgeon Lake | Sturgeon Lake / Fenelon Falls Pool | -9 cm (-3.7 in) | 🟠 |
| Burnt River | Burnt River to Balsam Lake | -15 cm (-6.0 in) | 🔴 |
| Gull River | Gull River to Balsam Lake | +6 cm (+2.3 in) | 🟢 |
| Head River | Head River to Lake Simcoe | -7 cm (-2.7 in) | 🟠 |
| Severn / Couchiching | Lake Couchiching Outflow | +2 cm (+1.0 in) | 🔵 |
| Wasdell Falls | Sparrow Lake to Big Chute Pool | +10 cm (+3.9 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 2026-10-01 05:00:03 ET.
Sécurité — navigational warnings
4 warning(s) published in the last seven days:
- NW-C-4177-26 — Meaford — Other, 2026-09-30
Vicinity: Meaford Category: Military Exercises (Other) Exercises using white parachute flares taking place daily until 010400 UTC Nov 2026 at the Land Force Central Area Training Centre in Meaford. Charts: 2201(NAD83) - 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 2026-10-01 06:00 ET from live feeds.