Dam operators post the next day's generation schedule each afternoon. Knowing when generators are running — and when they're off — is the difference between a great day on the water and a wasted drive to a blown-out river.
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The Caney Fork River flows below Center Hill Dam near Smithville, Tennessee. It's one of the state's premier tailwaters — roughly 20 miles of cold, clear water supporting wild rainbow and brown trout. The National Park Service has designated portions of it as catch-and-release-only wild trout water, and the river consistently produces fish over 20 inches.
Tailwater rivers below hydroelectric dams are controlled fisheries — the river's character changes completely depending on whether the dam is generating power. When generators run, water rises, currents accelerate, and wading conditions range from difficult to dangerous. When generation stops, the river drops to a low-flow state ideal for wade fishing.
Dam operators post the next day's generation schedule each afternoon — but finding that schedule means navigating agency websites and PDFs that aren't designed for anglers. TailwaterAlerts translates that data into a clear, hourly email you can read in 30 seconds.
The TVA posts generation schedules on their website, typically between 2 and 4 PM CT for the following day. You can check the TVA schedule directly, or sign up below and TailwaterAlerts will email you a formatted, easy-to-read version the moment it posts.
Center Hill Dam can discharge through multiple units, and water levels below the dam can rise several feet in under an hour when generation begins. When generators are running, wading becomes dangerous or impossible and the trout stop feeding. The windows between generation cycles — sometimes just a few hours — are often the best and safest fishing of the day.
TailwaterAlerts checks the generation schedule every 5 minutes starting at 1 PM CT. The moment the schedule posts, you get an email with a color-coded hourly breakdown and the best wading window highlighted. One email per day. Free. No app required.
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