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 Norfork River flows below Norfork Dam near Norfolk, Arkansas, joining the White River near the town of Norfork. It's a shorter tailwater than the White, but produces exceptional rainbow and brown trout in its clear, cold water. The Norfork is a favorite of dry-fly anglers and is often less crowded than the nearby White River fishery.
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.
Norfork Dam is a peaking power facility managed by the Southwestern Power Administration. Releases happen based on grid demand, and the river can go from low and clear to high and unfishable within an hour. The generation schedule is posted the day before, and low-flow windows are the prime time for wading. Checking the schedule the evening before is the only way to plan a successful wade fishing trip.
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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