🎣 CHASE THE PULSE — GENERATION FIRES AT TWO — WHITE RIVER & NORFORK
Tuesday, July 28, 2026
Bull Shoals is running 4,743 CFS right now and staying that way until 2:00 PM when the dam kicks on hard to 21,944 CFS. Down on the Norfork, you've got gin-clear 205 CFS and finicky post-spawn trout holding tight—this is a finesse morning if you want to stay wet, but the real action fires when the pressure wave pushes through. Both rivers are low and cold; clarity is your advantage until the water moves.
PLAN YOUR DAY
Get to Gaston's by 2:15 PM and you'll feel the pressure wave hit at 2:30 PM—that's your green light. If you're floating, be positioned at Cotter by 4:00 PM for the bite window before water rises at 5:41 PM. Rim Shoals picks up at 5:00 PM, Ranchette at 6:00 PM, and 341 Bridge fires at 8:00 PM sharp. On the Norfork, the dam goes live at 2:00 PM too—hit Norfork town by then, Reds Landing by 3:00 PM, or chase Calico Rock for a 4:30 PM arrival. Generation ramps from 2 to 3 units and climbs to full output; ride that pressure wave downstream and you'll be in the sweet spot when the fish wake up.
TODAY'S DAM SCHEDULE
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Bull Shoals 2:00 PM – 10:00 PM (21,944 CFS · 6.6 units)
↑ SWPA scheduled peak — dam ramps up to full output over 1–2 hrs
Norfork Dam 2:00 PM – 10:00 PM (3,130 CFS · 0.9 units)
Table Rock 7:00 AM – 11:00 PM (9,848 CFS · 2.6 units)
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GENERATION TIMING (based on 2:00 PM SWPA release · ~4.87 mph pulse)
Spot Bite window Water rises
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Gaston's (5 mi) 2:30 PM 3:01 PM
Cotter (18 mi) 4:00 PM 5:41 PM
Rim Shoals (24 mi) 5:00 PM 6:55 PM
Ranchette (29 mi) 6:00 PM 7:57 PM
341 Bridge (42 mi) 8:00 PM 10:37 PM
Calico Rock (62 mi) — 18–22 hrs
Generation all day means the bite window is tight and mobile—chase the pulse, get ahead of it, and be set when the water arrives.
NORFORK RIVER
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Norfork Dam 2:00 PM – 10:00 PM (3,130 CFS · 0.9 units)
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NORFORK TIMING (based on 2:00 PM release · ~5.5 mph pulse)
Spot Bite window Water rises
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Norfork (5 mi) 2:30 PM 2:54 PM
Red's Landing (10 mi) 3:00 PM 3:49 PM
Calico Rock (23 mi) 4:30 PM 6:10 PM
TANEYCOMO / TABLE ROCK TAILWATER
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Table Rock 7:00 AM – 11:00 PM (9,848 CFS · 2.6 units)
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TANEYCOMO TIMING (based on 7:00 AM release · ~3.5 mph actual)
Spot Bite window Water rises
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Branson Landing (5 mi) 7:45 AM 8:25 AM
Rockaway Beach (9 mi) 8:18 AM 9:34 AM
Forsyth/Powersite (20 mi) 10:00 AM 12:42 PM
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Live conditions & river map: create.buzz/rivers
