Soo Locks News: Daily Ship Traffic & Freighters

A salty downbounder, two lakers tandem on the St. Clair, and five-foot chop on Huron make this a Sunday worth watching.

Bluebill and Kathy McKeil press toward the Soo on matching clocks while a cold front rewrites the weekend forecast.

An expedition cruiser, a pilot vessel, and a salty converge on the locks from DeTour by breakfast, while Algoma Guardian closes from Point Iroquois downbound.

A saltwater runner is the lone mid-run downbounder with an evening lock appointment; Kaministiqua and American Spirit track south in company.

Two very different ships converge on the same locks inside the same hour, while a thousand-footer charges back up Superior.

American Century leads, Paul J. Martin closes ten hours later; Viking Octantis makes the rare expedition-ship passage up the St. Clair.

A 13:58 Wednesday ETA at the Soo caps a transit few afternoon watchers will want to miss.

Three lakers queued at the locks by first light while Dorothy Ann ran Detroit to Port Huron in the dark and a renamed tug slipped through the Seaway.

Chris Izworski, reporting from Bay City for the Great Lakes Gazette, turns to a significant milestone: American Spirit, the lakes’ flagship 1,000-footer, became the first vessel of her size to dock at the...

The American Spirit made history Friday when she became the first 1,000-footer to dock at the recently rebuilt Carbide Dock in the Soo, marking a milestone for the freshly renovated facility. The big laker...

The Stewart J. Cort remains hove to in pack ice near the Stribling Point turn in the St. Marys River, unable to complete her upbound passage for a second consecutive day despite icebreaker assistance. The...

The St. Marys River remains a slow-motion puzzle this week, even as the Soo Locks hum with activity. The Coast Guard’s icebreaker fleet, including USCGC *Spar*, *Mackinaw*, and Canadian cutter *Judy LaMarsh*,...

The Great Lakes shipping season is in full swing, but ice remains the dominant story across the upper lakes as U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard cutters work around the clock to clear channels for commercial...

The Great Lakes shipping season is moving into high gear as mild temperatures and coordinated icebreaking efforts keep vessel traffic flowing through critical waterways. At the Sault Ste. Marie locks, a steady...

Spring breakup is underway at the Sault Ste. Marie locks. The U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard have maintained steady icebreaking operations through the St. Marys River, allowing a measured but consistent flow of...

The 2026 Great Lakes shipping season is roaring to life despite ice challenges that caught even experienced captains off guard. The *Mesabi Miner*, operated by Interlake Steamship Co., became beset in ice...

The Great Lakes shipping season roared to life this week as the Soo Locks opened for traffic just after midnight Wednesday, March 26, and the *Mesabi Miner* departed Duluth on her maiden voyage of 2026. Within...

Spring has officially arrived on Lake Superior. The Soo Locks opened for ship traffic just after midnight Wednesday, March 25, and the fleet wasted no time answering the call. MV Indiana Harbor departed the...

The Great Lakes shipping season is officially underway. The Soo Locks opened for traffic just after midnight Wednesday, and within hours the fleet was on the move. The *Mesabi Miner* departed Duluth on her...

The navigation season is officially underway on the Great Lakes. The tug-barge Dirk S. VanEnkevort/Michigan Trader became the first vessel to transit the Soo Locks this year, passing through at 12:01 a.m....

The 2026 navigation season is nearly here, and vessels are already gathering at the Sault Ste. Marie locks. The tug-barge Dirk S. VanEnkevort with its barge Michigan Trader and the self-unloader John G. Munson...

The tug-barge Dirk S. VanEnkevort and Michigan Trader departed Toledo, Ohio, late Friday morning to begin their season and make what could be the first passage through the Soo Locks of 2026. The VanEnkevort...