Fishing Corner · Tips & tricks
Reading the Buford Dam release schedule
Water levels on the Hooch can change fast. Here’s how to check the schedule and fish around it safely.
Why releases matter
Buford Dam generates hydropower, and when it does, it sends extra water down the Chattahoochee. The river can rise fast, and the water stays near 50°F all year, so a release can turn an easy wade into a dangerous one.
Where to check
- Call 770-945-1466 or toll-free 1-855-DAM-FLOW (1-855-326-3569).
- Check the Corps of Engineers’ online hydropower generation schedule and select Buford Dam.
- Below Morgan Falls Dam, Georgia Power posts release information on its Chattahoochee hydro page.
How to fish around it
- Check the schedule before you leave home and again before you wade.
- Pick a spot where you can reach the bank quickly.
- If the water starts rising, get out right away.
- Wear a life jacket; it’s required from Buford Dam to the GA 20 bridge.
- A drift boat lets you keep fishing safely when the water comes up.
Good news for trout
From mid-to-late July through late November, the Corps of Engineers now combines turbine and aerated sluice-gate releases when conditions allow. That adds dissolved oxygen to the river without changing how much water is released.
Ask Chris
Questions about the release schedule? Ask Chris.
Chris Scalley has fished just about every water in Georgia and the Southeast, and he has guided since 1994. Ask him where to go, what’s biting, or who to fish with. He reads every question himself.
- Where and when to fish the Chattahoochee
- Which local guide or charter is worth booking
- A trout trip on the Hooch with River Through Atlanta
From the guides at River Through Atlanta
Rather not worry about the schedule? Our guides plan every trip around it.
Below Buford Dam, cold water from the bottom of Lake Lanier keeps 48 miles of the Chattahoochee cool enough for trout all year. It’s western-style fly fishing from a drift boat, for rainbows and wild browns, right through Atlanta. Our Orvis-endorsed guides have fished it since 1994, and beginners are welcome.
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