🎣 Tailwaters (trout) · below Greers Ferry Dam

Little Red River (Greers Ferry Tailwater): Flow, Generation Schedule & Trout Report

Right now: Not generating now (38 cfs at 11:00 AM CT, USACE); Little Red River Near Dewey, AR (USGS, 10:45 AM CT, Sun Nov 8): 859 cfs.

Updated

The lake above Greers Ferry Dam: Greers Ferry Lake level and bass report →

The Little Red River from Greers Ferry Dam at Heber Springs downstream past Pangburn and Dewey.

Wading? Water below the dam can rise several feet fast when generation starts. Check the schedule below before you go in, and get out when the water starts rising. Wading safety →

Dam release (actual)

38 cfs
Latest hourly outflow from Greers Ferry Dam, 11:00 AM CT, Sun Nov 8 (USACE). 24-hr peak 3,272 cfs, low 38 cfs.
Not generating now: minimum flow (under 1,000 cfs)

cfs = cubic feet of water per second (about 7.5 gallons each).

Last 12 hours
Sun 11 AM38 cfs
Sun 10 AM38 cfs
Sun 9 AM38 cfs
Sun 8 AM39 cfs
Sun 7 AM39 cfs
Sun 6 AM39 cfs
Sun 5 AM39 cfs
Sun 4 AM39 cfs
Sun 3 AM39 cfs
Sun 2 AM40 cfs
Sun 1 AM49 cfs
Sun 12 AM76 cfs

Greers Ferry Dam release schedule

Not generating now (minimum flow): 38 cfs
Actual release last updated 11:00 AM CT, Sun Nov 8 (USACE). Generating = above 1,000 cfs.

Planned: Today, Sunday November 08, 2026

No generation scheduled.

Hourly plan
MW by hour ending, CT (SWPA)
1 AM0
2 AM0
3 AM0
4 AM0
5 AM0
6 AM0
7 AM0
8 AM0
9 AM0
10 AM0
11 AM0
12 PM0
1 PM0
2 PM0
3 PM0
4 PM0
5 PM0
6 PM0
7 PM0
8 PM0
9 PM0
10 PM0
11 PM0
12 AM0

Planned: Tomorrow, Monday November 09, 2026

No generation scheduled.

Hourly plan
MW by hour ending, CT (SWPA)
1 AM0
2 AM0
3 AM0
4 AM0
5 AM0
6 AM0
7 AM0
8 AM0
9 AM0
10 AM0
11 AM0
12 PM0
1 PM0
2 PM0
3 PM0
4 PM0
5 PM0
6 PM0
7 PM0
8 PM0
9 PM0
10 PM0
11 PM0
12 AM0

Actual release, last 24 hours

Hourly releases
cfs, newest first (USACE)
Sun 11 AM38
Sun 10 AM38
Sun 9 AM38
Sun 8 AM39
Sun 7 AM39
Sun 6 AM39
Sun 5 AM39
Sun 4 AM39
Sun 3 AM39
Sun 2 AM40
Sun 1 AM49
Sun 12 AM76
Sat 11 PM135
Sat 10 PM244
Sat 9 PM733
Sat 8 PM1,752
Sat 7 PM3,272
Sat 6 PM2,896
Sat 5 PM1,460
Sat 4 PM39
Sat 3 PM38
Sat 2 PM38
Sat 1 PM38
Sat 12 PM38

MW = megawatts of power the dam plans to make. More MW means more water released. What these terms mean

2 turbines, 110 MW, about 7,900 cfs at full generation. SWPA plans are in megawatts and can change without notice; cfs figures are estimates. Official SWPA schedules.

All dam release schedules →

River gauge

Little Red River Near Dewey, AR (USGS 07076517): 859 cfs · stage 5.16 ft
Reading 10:45 AM CT, Sun Nov 8 · USGS gauge page

Gauges downstream rise later than the dam release. The farther you are from the dam, the longer it takes generation water to reach you.

USGS gauges on this water
  • USGS 07076000: Little Red River near Heber Springs (water temperature; flow when reported)
  • USGS 07076517: Little Red River near Dewey, AR (flow and stage)

Water temperature & clarity

🌡️ Water temperature

49°F Little Red River near Heber Springs: water tempUSGS 07076000, 11:00 AM CT, Sun Nov 8

💧 Clarity

No clarity reading this week (no USGS turbidity gauge here and no guide note on clarity in the AGFC report).

USGS readings below the dams are the temperature of water released from deep in the lake, which is what keeps the river cold enough for trout. They are not the lake surface temperature. Turbidity: under 5 FNU is generally clear water. Guide observations are quoted from the AGFC weekly report.

Wading and boating safety below Greers Ferry Dam

  • Check the plan before you go in. Look at today's schedule above. Plans change without notice, so keep watching the water too.
  • Water rises fast when generation starts. It can come up several feet in a short time, and the current gets much stronger. The rise reaches you later the farther downstream you are.
  • Know the warning signs. Water creeping up the bank, rocks going under, more floating leaves and sticks, or a faster current mean it's time to get out. Don't wait to be sure.
  • Horns or sirens mean leave the water. Some dams sound them before generation starts. Get off low gravel bars and islands right away.
  • Wade with a partner, use a wading staff and good soles, and wear a life jacket in a boat. The water is cold all year, so dress for a fall in.
  • In a boat, anchor only from the front, and never in fast current.

Not sure? Call the SWPA generation line at (866) 494-1993 and enter lake number 15.

This week's trout fishing report

Little Red River

(AGFC update of Oct 22, 2026)

NOTE: Trout limits for the Little Red River below Greers Ferry Dam changed in early 2026. Anglers may keep two trout daily; trout 14 inches or longer must be released immediately. This rule is in effect until further notice.
(updated 10-22-2026) Mike Winkler of Little Red River Fly Fishing Trips (501-507-3688) said, “ Finally, fall has arrived here in Arkansas! After the excessive heat we dealt with all summer, it sure feels good to have some cooler weather. Daytime temperatures have been in the 70s and 80s, with nighttime lows in the 50s and 60s. With the cooler temperatures, power demand has dropped off, and that has meant a big change in the generation schedule on the Little Red River. Over the last couple of weeks, the Southwestern Power Administration has been running a pretty consistent schedule, usually running two units for around two to four hours a day, generally starting somewhere around 5 or 6 in the evening. As always, generation schedules can change, so be sure to check the USACE Little Rock app before heading out to see what the current water releases are.
“With the current generation schedule, we’re seeing excellent wadeable water throughout the river. If I were fishing on foot, I’d start around JFK Park or Swinging Bridge access. Both areas receive plenty of stocking and can offer some great opportunities when the water conditions are right.
“For fishing from the boat, I’ve been spending most of my time fishing the deeper sections of the river, especially around the moss beds and anywhere there is steady current. “Fall weather has really just arrived over the last couple of weeks, but the fish are still wanting that deeper water. That’s not to say you won’t find fish in the shoals, but with the decreased flows, I’ve been finding more fish in the deeper sections and in the plunge pools below the shoals. “The fishing has been best early in the morning, when we’re still seeing some flow from the previous night’s generation. We’ve also been having some good late-afternoon and evening fishing. On those warm, sunny afternoons, small midges have been coming off up and down the river, and you’ll see fish rising and breaking the surface. The hot flies lately have been San Juan Worms, egg patterns and midge patterns. “It’s a great time of year to be on the Little Red. The temperatures are finally comfortable, the river is in great shape, and the fall fishing is just getting started. Get out and enjoy this beautiful weather while we’ve got it! And if you’d like to learn how to fly fish or want to get out on the river with a guide, give me a call.”

From the AGFC Arkansas Wildlife Weekly Fishing Report, 2026-11-05. Quoted as published; AGFC's separate lake and tailwater entries decide which page each part appears on.

🐟 Fish care tip · Trout
Tailwater note: catch-and-release areas

In the posted catch-and-release areas on the Bull Shoals and Norfork tailwaters (e.g. below Bull Shoals Dam, Rim Shoals, and the Norfork C&R area), all trout must be released immediately, and only artificial lures or flies with barbless hooks are allowed. Check the current regulations before you go.

Official sources for this water

Trout ID: rainbow, brown, cutthroat and brook →