The Algoma Bear made history this morning as the first merchant vessel to transit the St. Lawrence Seaway for the 2026 season, passing through the St. Lambert Lock today. The ceremonial Top Hat event, which honors the opening of the navigation season, is scheduled for Monday morning from 8:30 to 11 a.m. The shift from the originally announced Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin underscores the unpredictability of spring schedules on the Great Lakes and Seaway system.
Attention now turns to the Soo Locks, where the tug-barge combination Dirk S. VanEnkevort and Michigan Trader are positioned to claim the honor of first passage when those locks open at 12:01 a.m. on March 25. As of Saturday evening, the pair was approaching DeTour and the St. Marys River with no other vessels competing for the title. U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard icebreakers have been working both the upper and lower St. Marys River to clear a path for the opening. Meanwhile, traffic continues in the Mackinac Straits: the Algoma Intrepid moved eastbound while the Whitefish Bay and Alpena passed westbound, assisted by USCG Morro Bay.
Water levels remain favorable across the system. Lake Erie stands 2.01 feet above Low Water Datum, the highest of the five lakes, while Lake Superior sits 0.64 feet above datum. Lake Michigan registers 0.74 feet above, Lake Ontario 1.82 feet, and Lake Huron the lowest at 0.26 feet. A strong high-pressure system is building across the northern lakes today through Monday, with waves running 2 to 4 feet on Superior and Huron and up to 6 feet on Michigan as a cold front passes through this morning.
Mechanical troubles sidelined the Herbert C. Jackson briefly: the coal-bound self-unloader departed Ecorse on Tuesday bound for Sandusky but tied up at Monroe the same day after apparent issues in the Livingstone Channel. She turned around Thursday and headed back to Ecorse. The Whitefish Bay, repaired from bow damage sustained in January at Windsor, was spotted Friday heading for Chicago, likely carrying salt, while the Frontenac has returned to layup at Port Colborne after assuming her salt commitments.