Quick Answer
The Trent-Severn Waterway is a 386-kilometre navigable system running from Trenton to Port Severn through 44 locks. In 2026, lockage is free under the Canada Strong Pass from June 19 to September 7. For a 20-foot boat, that is roughly $45 per day in fees not paid. Mooring at lockstations is still $1.50 per foot per night. Harris Boat Works sits on Rice Lake, Ontario between Locks 18 and 19. Navigation season runs May 15 to October 12, 2026.
Need your PCOC? Take the online course through HBW's MyBoatCard referral link and use HARRIS15 for 15% off.
Verify all lock hours, fees, and program dates directly with Parks Canada before your trip, as these details are subject to change.
The Trent-Severn is one of those places where a 20-foot aluminum boat built for walleye fishing can lock through a hydraulic lift designed in 1904, anchor beside a 19th-century lock keeper's cottage, and pull into a small-town pub for lunch. The New York Times named it to its 52 Places to Go in 2025 list. Three generations of this family have watched the waterway from the dock at Gores Landing without needing the Times to confirm it.
Harris Boat Works sits on Rice Lake, roughly between Locks 18 and 19. We have been here since 1947. This is the guide we would give a friend who was doing their first trip.
What the Trent-Severn Actually Is
386 kilometres. 44 locks. Two flight locks. One marine railway. About 60 bridges. Operated by Parks Canada as a National Historic Site.
It connects Lake Ontario at Trenton to Georgian Bay at Port Severn, passing through Rice Lake, the Kawarthas, and the Severn River. The infrastructure ranges from simple manual locks to the Big Chute Marine Railway, which lifts boats over land in a giant cradle, and the Peterborough Lift Lock, one of the largest hydraulic boat lifts in the world.
Most boats on the waterway are fishing boats, pontoons, and cruisers. It is not a river system, it is a managed navigable waterway where the lock staff do the actual work, and you hold a line.
Free Lockage 2026, What's Actually Free
The Canada Strong Pass program makes lockage free from June 19 to September 7, 2026, for Canadian residents and international visitors on all boat types. Vessels still need a lockage permit: use a previously purchased permit or obtain a free one at the first lockstation you visit.
Other discounts and admission rules:
- Camping and roofed accommodations at Parks Canada sites: 25% off
- Youth 17 and under: free admission to all Parks Canada sites
What is still paid:
- Mooring at lockstations: $1.50 per foot per night
- Shore power: $12 per plug per night, where available at select locations
- Parking, charts, and third-party services
Example: a 20-foot boat tying up overnight at a lock pays $30 for mooring, plus $12 for each shore-power plug used, where available at select locations.
Verify current program details and dates at Parks Canada before your trip.
2026 Navigation Season and Lock Hours
Season: May 15–October 12, 2026
| Period |
Weekday hours |
Weekend and holiday hours |
| May 15–June 18 |
Mon–Thu: 10:00 am–3:30 pm |
Fri–Sun and Victoria Day (May 18): 9:00 am–6:30 pm |
| June 19–Sept 7 (peak) |
Mon–Thu: 9:00 am–5:30 pm |
Fri–Sun, Canada Day (July 1), Civic Holiday (Aug 3) and Labour Day (Sept 7): 9:00 am–6:30 pm |
| Sept 8–Oct 12 |
Mon–Fri: 10:00 am–3:30 pm |
Sat–Sun and Thanksgiving (Oct 12): 9:00 am–4:30 pm |
The key operational rule: You must arrive at the blue zone (the boat staging area) by the last lockage time. It is not enough to be nearby. Lockmasters do not open the gates after closing. Build at least 30 minutes of slack into your day's end.
Note: Hours are set by Parks Canada and are subject to change. Verify the current schedule at parks.canada.ca before departure.
A First-Timer's Guide to Locking Through
The system looks complex. It is slow and predictable, and the lockmaster does most of the work.
The process:
- Approach slowly. Wait in the blue zone until the lockmaster signals you in.
- Have fenders ready on both sides. The lock walls are concrete, gel coat does not bounce well.
- Have crew wearing PFDs ready at the bow and stern with knot-free mooring lines. Follow lock staff directions and loop your lines around the black drop cables; never tie them to the cables. Tend both lines as the water level changes, and use a boat hook rather than hands or feet to fend off.
- Once safely positioned with lines looped, turn off all ignition switches, engines, generators and open-flame appliances. Do not idle or restart during lockage; leave the bilge blower on. Restart only when lock staff direct you. Allow time for entry, lockage and exit when planning the day.
- Monitor VHF Channel 16. Murray Canal swing bridges specifically use Channel 14.
A good lockmaster will walk a first-timer through it without making a thing of it. The system handles tens of thousands of transits per season.
Boat sizing for the Trent-Severn
Will your boat actually fit through the locks?
In 2026, free lockage from June 19 to September 7 means more boats will try the system. Make sure yours is one of them.
If you mostly stay on one lake or section between locks
- ✓Fishing on Rice Lake, the Kawarthas, or a single stretch
- ✓Check the suitability of your pontoon, fishing boat or cruiser for the specific lake and conditions
- ✓Check local depths, shoals, weather and your boat's loading limits even when you do not use a lock
- ✓Locking through only one or two locks for a weekend trip
Check local conditions and boat limits
If you plan to run the full lock system
- ✓Long-distance transit from Trenton to Port Severn or vice versa
- ✓Port Severn, Lock 45, has an operational width of 7 m (23 feet) and length of 25.4 m (84 feet); these dimensions are not a clearance guarantee for your boat
- ✓Draft under 5 feet: channel depth is about 8 feet to Lock 19 and about 6 feet beyond (less in a few spots), and Parks Canada asks boats drawing 5 feet or more to call ahead
- ✓Length 21 to 25 feet is the practical sweet spot
Check your dimensions
When in doubt:Measure actual loaded draft, beam, length and air draft, then confirm current route conditions and clearance with Parks Canada. Channel depths are not guaranteed; Parks Canada asks boats drawing 5 feet or more to call ahead. Fixed bridges have a published minimum overhead clearance of 20 feet, which also needs to be checked against your boat.
Vessel Constraints, Will Your Boat Fit?
| Constraint |
Detail |
| Vertical clearance (lowest fixed bridge) |
20 feet (6.1 m) |
| Approximate channel depth, Locks 1 to 19 |
8 feet (2.4 m); not guaranteed |
| Approximate channel depth, above Lock 19 to Lock 45 |
6 feet (1.8 m), less in some places; not guaranteed |
| Port Severn, Lock 45, operational length and width |
84 feet (25.4 m) by 23 feet (7 m); confirm vessel clearance |
| Big Chute Marine Railway max length |
100 feet (30.3 m) |
| Big Chute max beam |
24 feet (7.3 m) |
| Big Chute max weight |
90 metric tonnes (99 tons) |
For Big Chute, contact Parks Canada at least 48 hours ahead if the vessel exceeds 68 tonnes (75 tons), has an unusual hull configuration, or may be difficult to lift in slings. Published dimensions do not establish that a particular vessel can transit.
Parks Canada lists a minimum overhead fixed bridge clearance of 20 feet (6.1 m). Measure your vessel's full air draft, including radar arches, biminis and masts, and confirm current route conditions before transit. Do not attempt passage unless your vessel clears the confirmed overhead height. Most sailors un-step at Trenton or Frankford before the transit.
Fees Outside the Free Window
When the Canada Strong Pass is not active, lockage fees apply:
| Permit |
Rate |
| Single lock and return |
$1.50/ft |
| One day |
$2.25/ft |
| One-way transit |
$6.00/ft |
| Six days |
$6.50/ft |
| Seasonal |
$11.25/ft |
For a 20-foot boat: $45 for a day, $225 for a seasonal pass. Confirm current fee schedules with Parks Canada, as these can change between seasons.
A Sample Trip Plan from Rice Lake
Most people do not transit all 386 kilometres. They take three or four locks at a time, anchor for the night, eat lunch in a small town, and come back. Here are three trip types from HBW at Gores Landing.
Weekend run (2 days, 2 lockages): East from Rice Lake to Hastings (Lock 18), the first lock east of the lake. One lockage each way, or none if you tie up above the lock. Overnight at Hastings. Lunch at one of the pubs. Return Sunday. Quiet and scenic. No commercial harbor traffic.
Long weekend (4 days, 8 locks each way): West from Rice Lake up the Otonabee through Lock 19 (Scott's Mills) and the Peterborough Lift Lock (Lock 21). Continue to Lakefield and back.
Full Kawartha tour (7 days, 13 locks each way): Rice Lake to Bobcaygeon and back takes you through Locks 19 to 32, excluding the unused number 29, or 26 lockages round trip. Includes the Peterborough Lift Lock, Lakefield and Buckhorn. Healey Falls is downstream of Hastings on the Trent River, not on this route. The most relaxed pace, best for first-timers wanting to see the system.
For a full Trenton-to-Port-Severn transit, plan at least 5 to 7 days at a relaxed pace.
Where to Fuel Up
Fuel is available at commercial marinas along the route, not at lockstations.
Fuel stops from south to north: Trenton, Frankford, Campbellford, Hastings, Harris Boat Works (Gores Landing on Rice Lake), Lakefield, Buckhorn, Bobcaygeon, Fenelon Falls, Orillia, Port Severn.
HBW fuel note: We pump ethanol-free 89-octane marine gas. Ethanol pump gas absorbs water and degrades over weeks, ethanol-free is shelf-stable for a season. Call ahead if you are transiting outside peak summer, smaller marinas sometimes close mid-week or end-of-season.
Don't Own a Boat? You Can Still Do This
Rent from HBW. Our current Rice Lake rental lineup includes ProSport fishing boats, Transporter pontoons, 23 Cruise pontoons, and the Halo pontoon. Rice Lake is part of the Trent-Severn, you are already on the waterway when you launch from Gores Landing. Book at harrisboatworks.ca/rentals.
Houseboat the system. Companies including Le Boat operate on the Trent-Severn and offer multi-day trips. Most houseboat operators brief customers on locking, no boating licence required in most rental cases.
Why HBW Is a Useful Home Base
HBW is at Gores Landing on the south shore of Rice Lake, roughly 1 hour 45 minutes from central Toronto in light traffic.
| Service |
Detail |
| Fuel |
Ethanol-free 89-octane marine gas at the dock |
| Transient slips |
4, 6 available; $1.00/ft/night; call ahead to confirm availability |
| Launch ramp |
2-lane concrete; $20/day or $200/season |
| Rentals |
Current pontoon and fishing-boat lineup for Rice Lake trips |
| Mercury service |
Premier dealer; for engine repairs, we only service Mercury and MerCruiser |
Call 905-342-2153 before heading out if you need a slip or want to confirm fuel availability. Mercury repower quotes at mercuryrepower.ca.
Starting from Rice Lake? HBW is between Locks 18 and 19.
Call 905-342-2153 before you head out to confirm slip or fuel availability.
Boat rentals at harrisboatworks.ca/rentals.
Mercury repower quotes at mercuryrepower.ca.
Harris Boat Works, 5369 Harris Boat Works Rd, Gores Landing, ON. Est. 1947.
