Trent Houseboat Rentals helps when it was time to plan your Kawartha and Trent Severn Waterway family vacation. The Trent Severn Waterway is Central Ontario's 387 kilometers of waterway utilizing 41 locks, a marine railway and 2 hydraulic lift locks raising navigation 180 meters above Lake Ontario and 80 meters above Georgian Bay, at Balsam Lake. Here we present you with many of the amenities and services available along. At the heart lay the Kawartha lakes, bounded by Rice Lake and the Trent River to one side and Lake Simcoe all the way to Georgian Bay on the other side.
Cottage Rental Listings from Ontario Canada, select details. TSW businesses get a FREE Lising. Refresh the screen for more.

The Trent Severn Waterway, Houseboat Vacation Questions

When it was time to plan our Kawartha and Trent Severn Waterway family vacation here is the criteria we used to decide on a houseboat rental. Hope this helps with your decision! We have found the Internet to have sites that are a little misleading and you need to ask the right questions to get what you are looking for and believe you are ordering. 
 

Choose the right company for your vacation.

1. Are they professional, they let professionals like major magazines or other media speak for them, and they only list the pertinent facts?
2. Do they list numerous testimonials from satisfied clients?
3. Do they need to advertise other businesses or are they specialized and stand alone?
4. Do they have printed colour brochures, videos or other demonstration tools?
5. Do they have a photo gallery of the region's tourist attractions and their boats?
6. Is their web site easy to navigate and well organized for you?
7. Do they have sufficient boats available or simply talk the talk?
8. Do they offer multiple means of contact, email, 800 number, address and map?
9. On your initial contact do you get a good first impression of the company?
10. Is the information given factual or meant to mislead. For example there can only be one with the most houseboats to rent so ask the question of all who make the claim or attempt to make you believe the claim.

If your time permits we strongly recommend going up and down on the Peberborough Hydraulic Lift Lock or if not possible then try the one at Kirkfield. Having crossed Lake Simcoe in a 40 foot cruiser during a mild storm I would not recommend entering the lake even on a 40 foot cruiser unless you are 100% sure the weather conditions are perfect.

Need a larger boat, we strongly recommend the advantages in renting two smaller houseboats . Flexibility and ease of use are achieved when one group wants to say, play golf and the other wishes to go shopping. The smaller boats are easier to maneuver, two can give equal or more space and allows for one houseboat to be used as a socialize platform while the other may be used for those who need to get their rest early. Just makes more sense and may even be more economical.

Advertising space is available on this site. Please contact us with your company name and the type of business you offer. Suitable companies will be contacted.

Our choice, here at Kawartha, is Egan Houseboat Rentals. Located near Emily Provincial Park.
Mouse over the regions on the map to view lock details

Central Ontario encompasses all six regions of Ontario's, The Trent-Severn Waterway, offering a listing service for residents and tourists.

The Trent Region starts at (1) Trenton on Lake Ontario and ends at (13) Campbellford, other towns include Frankford, Belleville, Brighton, Picton and Bath..
The Rice Lake Region starts at (13) Campbellford and ends at (19) Scott's Mill, other towns include Hastings, Harwood and Bewdley.
The Kawartha Region starts at (19) Scott's Mill and ends at (36) Kirkfield, other towns include Peterborough, Lakefield, Young's Point, Burleigh Falls, Buckhorn, Bobcageon and Fenelon Falls. Lakes include Katchawanooka, Clear, Stony, Lovesick, Buckhorn, Pigeon, Chemong, Sturgeon, Cameron and Balsam Lake.
The Scugog Region starts and ends at (33) Lindsay allowing access to the Town of Port Perry and Lake Scugog.
The Simcoe Region starts at (36) Kirkfield and ends at (42) Couchiching, other towns include Beaverton, Barrie, Orillia, Washago and communities on the shores of Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchiching.
The Severn Region starts at (36) Couchiching and ends at (45) Port Severn on Georgian Bay.

DETAILED LOCK DESCRIPTION the trent severn waterway spacer20<RETURN TO PAGE TOP>the trent severn waterway spacer8<VISIT ALL OUR BUSINESS LISTINGS>

Lock
Station
Type
Chart
Lake Ontario
KM - Miles
Region
GPS (proximity)

Lift
M - FT

1 Trenton Lock 2021
0 - 0
Trent 44.12071°N - 77.59160°W
5.4 - 18
2 Sydney Lock 2021
3.9 - 2.4
Trent 44.13072°N - 77.59152°W
6.1 - 20
3 Glen Miller Lock 2021
6.2 - 3.9
Trent 44.15055°N - 77.57970°W
8.2 - 27
4 Batawa Lock 2021
8.3 - 5.2
Trent 44.16818°N - 77.58638°W
5.5 - 18
5 Trent Lock 2021
10.3 - 6.4
Trent 44.18484°N - 77.59188°W
5.5 - 18
6 Frankford Lock 2021
11.7 - 7.3
Trent 44.19776°N - 77.59123°W
4.9 -16
7 Glen Ross Lock 2021
22.2 - 13.8
Trent 44.26569°N - 77.59697°W
3.0 - 10
8 Percy Reach Lock 2021
40.7 - 25.3
Trent 44.23592°N - 77.78407°W
6.0 - 20
9 Meyers Lock 2021
42.5 - 26.4
Trent 44.24690°N - 77.80009°W
4.9 - 16
10 Hauges Reach Lock 2021
45.0 - 28.0
Trent 44.26730°N - 77.79337°W
7.3 - 24
11/12 Ranney Falls Flight Lock 2021
47.8 - 29.7
Trent 44.29031°N - 77.80160°W
14.6 - 48
13 Campbellford Lock 2021
51.8 - 32.2
Trent /Rice Lake 44.31979°N - 77.78615°W
7.0 - 23
14 Crowe Bay Lock 2021
54.2 - 33.7
Rice Lake 44.33516°N - 77.77303°W
7.6 - 25
15 Healy Falls Lock 2021
58.2 - 36.2
Rice Lake 44.36891°N - 77.77434°W
6.6 - 22
16/17 Healy Falls Flight Lock 2021
58.8 - 36.5
Rice Lake 44.37283°N - 77.77988°W
7.3 - 24
18 Hastings Lock 2022
82.3 - 51.1
Rice Lake 44.30865°N - 77.95703°W
2.7 - 9
19 Scott's Mill Lock 2022
142.8 - 88.7

Rice Lake /Kawartha

44.28926°N - 78.30814°W
2.4 - 8
20 Ashburnham Lock 2023
144.5 - 89.5
Kawartha 44.29924°N - 78.30441°W
3.7 - 12
21 Peterborough Lift Lock 2023
145.0 - 90.1
Kawartha 44.30763°N - 78.30098°W
19.8 - 65
22 Nassau Mills Lock 2023
151.7 - 94.3
Kawartha 44.36464°N - 78.29033°W
4.3 - 14
23 Otonabee Lock 2023
152.6 - 94.8
Kawartha 44.37248°N - 78.28864°W
3.7 - 12
24 Douro Lock 2023
155.1 - 96.4
Kawartha 44.38872°N - 78.26960°W
3.7 - 12
25 Sawer Creek Lock 2023
156.6 - 97.3
Kawartha 44.40017°N - 78.26287°W
3.0 - 10
26 Lakefield Lock 2023
158.9 - 98.7
Kawartha 44.42001°N - 78.27093°W
4.8 - 16
27 Young's Point Lock 2023
168.1 - 104.5
Kawartha 44.48823°N - 78.23302°W
2.2 - 7
28 Burleigh Falls Lock 2023
181.8 - 113.0
Kawartha 44.55972°N - 78.20815°W
7.3 - 24
30 Lovesick Lock 2023
18.7 - 114.8
Kawartha 44.56196°N - 78.25072°W
1.1 - 3.5
31 Buckhorn Lock 2023
194.2 - 120.7
Kawartha 44.55558°N - 78.34607°W
3.5 - 11.5
32 Bobcageon Lock 2025
222.4 - 138.2
Kawartha 44.53906°N - 78.54654°W
1.6 - 5
 -
Port Perry
-
2026
294.5 - 183.3
Scugog
44.0905°N - 78.9479°W
-
33
Lindsay
Lock
2026
251.6 - 156.3
Scugog
44.35684°N - 78.73527°W
2.1 - 7
34 Fenelon Falls Lock 2025
247.2 - 153.6
Kawartha 44.53591°N - 78.73718°W
7.2 - 24
35 Rosedale Lock 2025
252.9 - 157.2
Kawartha 44.57171°N - 78.77842°W
1.2 - 4
36 Kirkfield Lift Lock 2025
272.6 - 169.4
Kawartha /Simcoe 44.58956°N - 78.98955°W
14.9 - 49
37 Bolsover Lock 2025
284.9 - 177.0
Simcoe 44.53457°N - 79.07110°W
6.6 - 22
38 Talbot Lock 2025
286.5 - 178.1
Simcoe 44.50959°N - 79.10661°W
4.3 - 14
39 Portage Lock 2025
289.1 - 179.6
Simcoe 44.50276°N - 79.12626°W
4.0 - 13
40 Thorah Lock 2025
289.8 - 180.1
Simcoe 44.49881°N - 79.13262°W
4.3 - 14
41 Gamebridge Lock 2025
290.9 - 180.7
Simcoe 44.48667"N - 79.14889"W
3.0 - 10
42 Couchiching Lock 2028
337.8 - 209.9
Simcoe /Severn 44.76953°N - 79.35024°W
6.2 - 20
43 Swift Rapids Lock 2029
361.2 - 224.5
Severn 44.85772°N - 79.54036°W
14.3 - 47
44 Big Chute Marine Railway 2029
374.1 - 232.5
Severn 44.88501°N - 79.67474°W
17.7 - 58
45 Port Severn Lock 2029
387.1 - 240.6
Severn 44.80354°N - 79.72033°W
3.7 - 12
Please contact us if you see an error or a problem. the trent severn waterway spacer7<RETURN TO PAGE TOP>the trent severn waterway spacer3<VISIT ALL OUR BUSINESS LISTINGS>

 

 

 

 

 

We use 387 km instead of 386 km because that is what we get things to add up to.
Balsam Lake is the highest point in the system, not Rosedale or Kirkfield. Kirkfield is 14.9 m below Balsam and Rosedale is 1.2 m below.
The Kirkfield Lift Lock Chambers rise to one foot below Balsam Lake, the system works when Balsam fills this area in the chamber increasing the weight, allowing it to descend so the opposite chamber to can rise. The chamber coming down must always have more water (weight) for the design to function.
There is no lock 29 as two locks were replaced by one at Burleigh Falls.
Purdey's Mills aka Lindsay aka City of Kawartha Lakes, is a side branch of The Trent-Severn Waterway accessing Lake Scugog.

Brief History of The Trent-Severn Waterway

The start to finish time line spans eighty-seven years with the systems construction starting in 1833 at Bobcaygeon and finishing in 1920 at Port Severn, three hundred and eighty-seven kilometers from Lake Ontario.

A feat of "Engineering and Perseverance" that is hard to imagine when considering the construction techniques that were available at the time.

The Navigation channel runs a depth of six feet from start to finish. The locks vary in raising the water level some exceptions are; flight locks, the Big Chute Marine Railway with a lift of eighteen meters (58 feet), the Kirkfield Lift Lock with an average lift of fifteen meters (49 feet) )and the Peterborough Lift Lock (finished in 1904) with an average lift of twenty meters (65 feet).

Peaking at Balsam Lake the system takes the traveler 180 meters (600 feet) above Lake Ontario and 80 meters (250 feet) above Lake Huron’s, Georgian Bay.

Standard lock dimensions are one hundred and twenty feet long by thirty-two feet wide. The two exceptions are the lock 44, the Big Chute Marine Railway at one hundred feet long by twenty-four feet wide and lock 45 at Port Severn is only eight-four feet long and twenty-three feet wide setting the limit if you wish to traverse The Trent Severn Waterway from one end to the other.

Two major upgrades were at Big Chute in 1960 and combining two locks at Burleigh Falls in 1968 eliminating lock 29.


Please Note: All dimensions are rounded hence approximate.

<RETURN TO PAGE TOP><VISIT ALL OUR BUSINESS LISTINGS>

The Trent-Severn Waterway is part of Parks Canada!
This site is part of TheTrentSevernWaterway.com and is NOT Parks Canada

Copyright © 1998 - , all rights reserved by centralontario.com