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 French Broad River below Douglas Dam near Dandridge, Tennessee is a productive tailwater fishery at the gateway to the Smoky Mountains. Cold releases from Douglas Lake support rainbow and brown trout in a larger river system than most Tennessee tailwaters. The French Broad offers a wade and float fishing experience with good fish density close to Knoxville and the surrounding region.
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.
Douglas Dam is one of TVA's larger facilities, and generation can put significant water into the French Broad. When multiple units run, the river becomes too high to wade safely in most sections. Low-flow windows are typically several hours in length but shift daily based on TVA's demand schedule. Knowing when those windows fall is the key to planning a safe and productive wading trip on the French Broad.
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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