Lock 3 — St. Catharines
Dedicated public viewing platform beside the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre. Good close-up lock observation and an onsite schedule display.
Museum and viewing details ↗Great Lakes shipping network / Niagara Peninsula
Welland Canal Ships & Locks Live
Where is the next freighter to watch? See recent ship positions along the 27-mile Welland Canal, inspect all eight locks, and open the official vessel schedule before you go.
Times are Eastern (Ontario). AIS reports are not confirmed passage appointments or navigational advice.
8navigation locks
43 kmLake Ontario to Lake Erie
99.5 mchange in water elevation
~11 htypical complete commercial transit
Vessel watch · positions not appointments
Ships along the canal, right now
Fresh public AIS vessel reports show where ships were reported recently. Confirm named upcoming traffic using the Seaway's official schedule.
Welland Canal vessel map
Waiting for the AIS service…
Checking reports
Select a lock to see the details.
Map tiles are unavailable. You can still use the official vessel schedule and the lock-viewing guide below.
Locks AIS vessels3–7 / 4–6 = grouped locks at wider zoomApproximate positions. Dashed route is illustrative, not for navigation.Official Seaway map ↗
THE WELLAND CANAL01 — 08
THE CANAL AT A GLANCE
Eight locks. One waterway.
Lake Ontario → Lake Erie
Follow the Welland Canal from north to south. Select a numbered lock on the map to explore its location and viewing guidance.
RECENT AIS COVERAGEChecking vessel reports…
Reports refresh from the AIS provider.
Lock markers are fixed reference locations, not live lock-status indicators.
One route · eight locks
Follow a ship up or down the escarpment
Upbound ships travel south from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie; downbound ships travel north. Choose a lock to focus the map and open its detailed guide. These are permanent reference locations, not current lock operating states.
Choose a lock for viewing guidance.
Ship-watch decision guide
Where should you watch a ship?
Choose your viewing point by experience, then use the official order-of-turn information for actual vessel names and expected lock progression.
Lock 7 — Thorold
The Lock 7 Viewing Centre overlooks vessels in the Thorold flight-lock area. Check seasonal visitor-centre hours; viewing access may differ from building hours.
Thorold viewing information ↗Lock 8 — Port Colborne
Gateway Park offers ship-watching opportunities at the canal's southern entrance. Use public viewing areas and stay clear of operational lock infrastructure.
Canal tourism guide ↗Heading to the canal today? First open the official lock order of turn to check the next vessels. Then pick a viewing location. Reported AIS dots alone cannot confirm when a ship will enter a particular lock.
Authoritative data first
Schedules, lock notices and current conditions
Official vessel transit & order of turn
Names, reported past and next locations, and published estimated next locations are provided by the Seaway. These can change with operations and are not our predictions.
View the official queue ↗Official Seaway traffic map
Seaway-operated traffic overview, separate from this site's public AIS provider.
Open the Seaway map ↗Welland Canal notices to shipping
Current maintenance, restrictions, interruptions and operating notices. Treat notices as the authority over third-party trip summaries.
Review canal notices ↗Watch more Great Lakes shipping
Compare nearby vessel activity and ship-watching tools for the Soo Locks, Duluth Canal Park and the five-lake freighter map.
Explore Freighter Central →Pleasure craft · 2026 operational guide
Private boat? The schedule is different.
The Seaway's commercial shipping traffic is not the same as the pleasure-craft reservation schedule. For 2026, pleasure-craft Welland Canal transits are scheduled May 1–October 25, with regular upbound Monday/Wednesday/Friday/Sunday and downbound Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday services through September 27. October 3–25 uses weekend-only lockages: Saturday upbound and Sunday downbound. Reservations and same-day reporting requirements apply.
Upbound craft must arrive at the Port Weller small-boat dock and report by 9:00 a.m.; downbound craft report at Port Colborne by 7:00 a.m., subject to official revisions. This summary is for planning, not navigation or proof of a reservation.
Check current Seaway pleasure-craft instructions and book through the official system ↗
Canal basics
Welland Canal questions
Are ships going through the Welland Canal today?
Check the official Seaway vessel-transit page for named commercial traffic and the latest lock queue. The map on this page shows only fresh public AIS positions within the canal corridor; no reports does not establish no traffic.
Where is the best place to watch freighters on the Welland Canal?
Lock 3 in St. Catharines has a public viewing platform and museum. Lock 7 in Thorold and Lock 8 in Port Colborne are other established watch areas.
How many locks does the canal have?
Eight. Locks 1–7 lift or lower vessels through most of the roughly 99.5-metre elevation change. Lock 8 serves as the southern control lock.
Can a 1,000-foot Great Lakes freighter pass through?
No. Seaway vessel-length limits are approximately 740 feet, shorter than the 1,000-foot lakers that can navigate the upper Great Lakes.
Is a vessel on the map guaranteed to enter the next lock soon?
No. AIS shows reported position and motion, not an operational lock appointment. Ships may wait, berth, turn, or experience operational delays. Official order-of-turn information takes precedence.
Does this map show live cameras?
No verified licensed camera embed is included. We do not present an old video or an unrelated stream as live. Use the map and the official viewing guidance until a dependable camera source can be confirmed.