Lake Onega Reservoir has an area of and volume of , i.e. almost the same as those of Onega Lake. Its construction raised the water level of the lake by . The lake contains a well-developed navigation system which is part of the Volga–Baltic Waterway and White Sea – Baltic Canal, connecting the basins of Baltic, Caspian and the northern seas. These canals allow water transport of goods from the lake to the countries from Germany to Iran; most traffic goes to Finland, Sweden, Germany and Denmark. The Onega Canal running along the southern shore of the lake there is not used
Port of Redwood City Sea Scout ships and one Mariner Scout (Girl Scout) ship also use the facility. Stanford University has its Stanford Rowing & Sailing Center at the port. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, in his 2007 state of the State of California address, unveiled a plan for emergency water transit for the San Francisco Bay Region. The plan provides for a key role for the Port of Redwood City which "is strategically located between two bridges — the Dumbarton Bridge and the San Mateo Bridge. A Redwood City ferry terminal would be a crucial link, and also serve about 1400 regular passengers a day".