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Okay, I don't make it down there as much as I would like and when I do it is usually with someone else who knows what the river is doing. I am tired of being ignorant on the subject, so please give me a lesson on understanding the flow levels, what is good and bad as far as flow and generation and any other pertinent facts!
Thanks in advance
That gives me an idea for next month's tackle time at the dcff meeting. Orgasm taken me a lot of years to become comfortable with predicting around the dam project. Back in the day of normal generation it was really easy; tva told you when it would be off and on. Now you can pretty much base it on lake level, anticipated precipitation in the basin, and the need to run sluice for oxygen in the summer.
I have found that wading is difficult anytime flow is above 5 K, using a boat is difficult anytime the flow is below 2K. Watch the lake level. When the lake is 685 or above, flow will be 5k+; as the lake drops toward 680, flow will drop below 5K. At 680, the flow drops down to 500 cfs or so. Unfortunately, I've found this year and last that relatively high water temps--60 degrees and above--has given the trout lockjaw, and 60 degrees+ is pretty much what you get, no matter the flow, from May until November. Only high lake levels for extended periods of time will generate the really cold water we used to have during the summer. No telling when that will happen, as the dam will be under repair for the foreseeable future.
Yep, You have to check the CFPS . There have been very few days all year that the CR has been wade able . Due to all the rain. Every time the lake has got down to the 680 holding level where they could turn the water off. It has rained and raised the lake level back up. And the generators come back on.
IMHO they could do a much better job managing the water level of the lake
while making the river fishable for a few hours every day. Like they do on the Caney Fork river. They will generate all night when the lake is high. And cut them off for a few hours in the morning , Mid day , And evening. Usally 2-5 hour cycles. Instead of running 1 generator for 24 hours , They could turn 2 on at night. And just run one for a couple hours of the morning and evening.