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 Lower Mountain Fork River below Broken Bow Dam in southeastern Oklahoma is the state's premier trout fishery and one of the South's hidden gems. Cold releases from Broken Bow Lake keep water temperatures ideal year-round, and the river holds rainbow and brown trout in the piney Ouachita Mountains. Oklahoma designates the upper section as catch-and-release-only trophy trout water.
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 USACE posts generation schedules on their website, typically between 2 and 4 PM CT for the following day. You can check the USACE schedule directly, or sign up below and TailwaterAlerts will email you a formatted, easy-to-read version the moment it posts.
Broken Bow Dam is a peaking power facility managed by the Southwestern Power Administration, and generation schedules can shift significantly from day to day. When generators run, the Lower Mountain Fork rises quickly and wading the upper trophy sections becomes unsafe. Low-flow windows are the prime wade fishing opportunity and are typically only available a few hours per 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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