The total length  of the waterway is 227 kilometers (141 mi), of which 48 kilometers (30 mi) are man-made.
The current flows north from Lake Onega to the White Sea, and all navigation marks are set according to it.
Once in Lake Onega, ships can exit the southwest shore through the Svir River (and its two locks) to reach Lake Ladoga and then proceed down the Neva River to Saint Petersburg and the Baltic Sea.
Alternatively, from Lake Onega river ships can sail eastward into the Volga–Baltic Waterway.
The total length  of the waterway is 227 kilometers (141 mi), of which 48 kilometers (30 mi) are man-made. The current flows north from Lake Onega to the White Sea, and all navigation marks are set according to it. Once in Lake Onega, ships can exit the southwest shore through the Svir River (and its two locks) to reach Lake Ladoga and then proceed down the Neva River to Saint Petersburg and the Baltic Sea. Alternatively, from Lake Onega river ships can sail eastward into the Volga–Baltic Waterway.
White Sea–Baltic Canal