Center Hill Dam

[lforet2002]

"Starting tomorrow, August 16th, Center Hill Dam will schedule sluice gate releases in conjunction with generation of electricity until further notice.
Sluice gate releases during periods of generation allows the Corps to meet downstream water quality by increasing the dissolved oxygen content of the Caney Fork River. This action will ultimately benefit the aquatic life downstream.
The Corps reminds boaters and fishermen to avoid the turbulent water created by the sluice gate below the dam. This turbulence can pull small crafts toward the dam and submerge them."


Got this message yesterday and wanted to pose a question. Being a rookie at fishing below Center Hill dam and the Caney Fork river, what can I expect of the effects of fishing along the river with the sluice gates opening?

[Pinwheeled]

1 generator plus sluice is about like 2 gens running downstream. You don't want to be in the pond at all when they are sluicing. It's violent with a lot of nasty back currents. Joel at Caney Fork Outdoors was telling me last year about a local guy that didn't know they were sluicing and was almost killed when he ignored the sirens. His canoe was pulled in and busted up. He was barely able to swim to shore.

I figured they would be starting up soon since they have been running the constant 250cfs out of the sluice opening for a while now.




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[Pinwheeled]

Here is what it looks like when they're sluicing. This was right when the first started that day. That plume of water gets bigger than that.


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[lforet2002]

How does it affect the fish? Do they like the heavy current?? Does it push them down stream?? I normally don't fish up near the dam, I've been mostly wading around the rest stop. Me and my buddy are planning a float though within the next 2 weeks. We were planning on putting in at Happy Hollow. As usual thanks for all the info, you guys are always helpful.

[Pinwheeled]

Originally Posted by lforet2002

How does it affect the fish? Do they like the heavy current?? Does it push them down stream?? I normally don't fish up near the dam, I've been mostly wading around the rest stop. Me and my buddy are planning a float though within the next 2 weeks. We were planning on putting in at Happy Hollow. As usual thanks for all the info, you guys are always helpful.

Depends on who you ask. I love the constant 250cfs from the sluice. Others dont. I haven't fished it a whole lot on a gen + sluice but have done pretty well the few times I tried it.

They were on fire last week with the constant 250 running. I stopped at the dam last Thursday after a pretty slow trip to the Obey. I fished from 10-2:15 and landed exactly 50 trout in that time. Nothing huge but had 3 around 18".





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[unkangler]

Hey,... that's a nice trout! .. I need to make some time and fish that thar Caney

[Alphahawk]

It puts a lot of dissolved oxygen in the water...which is great for the fish. You may or may not know they are in process of installing new generators which have the orifices in them to put more oxygen in the water. One is supposed to come on line this month. When they get all 3 in there should not be any need for the sluice. Arkansas has been using these type generators for quite a while. Makes for a much better fishery.

Regards

[TNBronzeback]

Originally Posted by unkangler

Hey,... that's a nice trout! .. I need to make some time and fish that thar Caney

I say that every year and ive still not gone. Most ive done in regards to trout is taking about 5 casts with a spoon behind the rest stop. No canoe, kayak, waders here. Lol.
Call me a wimp but i dont care how hot it is, when that mid 60's water hits the giblets wet wading, you rethink your choices quickly. Lol....no trout is worth that to me! LMAO

[SAMBOLIE]

Originally Posted by TNBronzeback

I say that every year and ive still not gone. Most ive done in regards to trout is taking about 5 casts with a spoon behind the rest stop. No canoe, kayak, waders here. Lol.
Call me a wimp but i dont care how hot it is, when that mid 60's water hits the giblets wet wading, you rethink your choices quickly. Lol....no trout is worth that to me! LMAO

Just don't wade the water deeper than your knees.

[TNBronzeback]

Originally Posted by SAMBOLIE

Just don't wade the water deeper than your knees.

Lmao.....good point!

[TnCreekMaster]

Originally Posted by TNBronzeback

I say that every year and ive still not gone. Most ive done in regards to trout is taking about 5 casts with a spoon behind the rest stop. No canoe, kayak, waders here. Lol.
Call me a wimp but i dont care how hot it is, when that mid 60's water hits the giblets wet wading, you rethink your choices quickly. Lol....no trout is worth that to me! LMAO

The caney is defintly to cold for me to wet wade. Even colder tho try wet wading in a prong 5000 feet up for brooks talk about cold I made the mistake of thinking oh yeah its 80 outside the water won't be that bad, well when you put your toes in the water it hurts it's that cold lol no wet wading for me again up there

[white95v6]

Water at dam was 48deg last night.

[TNBronzeback]

Originally Posted by white95v6

Water at dam was 48deg last night.

Geeze! gonna be ice fishing the pond by Halloween! lol

[white95v6]

Originally Posted by TNBronzeback

Geeze! gonna be ice fishing the pond by Halloween! lol

Ha-ha I can't remember if it was last yr or the yr before. I was fishing there in July and temp was 42deg