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 White River below Bull Shoals Dam near Mountain Home, Arkansas is one of America's legendary trout fisheries. With over 100 miles of cold tailwater, the White River supports trophy rainbow and brown trout and has produced multiple world records. The river is a destination fishery that draws anglers from across the country year-round.
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.
Bull Shoals Dam can release tremendous volumes of water — multiple generators running simultaneously can make the river completely unwadeable. Releases are determined by USACE power demand and fluctuate daily. Knowing which hours generators are scheduled to run is essential for safety and for finding the productive low-water windows that make the White River famous for wade fishing.
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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