Gallatin Steam Plant operating hours?

[jakeway]

Is there a website or a number to find out hours of operation for the steam plant, similar to dam generation schedules?

I went there once and there was little current in the channel and the water was barely warmer than the main lake.

 

[gil1]

Dern good question. I always have just found out when I got there, but that would be nice to know.

 

[Kramer]

Odds are good that if you see the steam and a cold day...this is a good sign.

If you find out let me know and I'll work the anchor.

 

[tnjimbo]

Guys there is no hours at a steam plant! It depends on the power demand on how many units run and when! It all depends on cost and demand.

 

[trealtree]

I can see the towers from my house.

 

[Football Hunter]

good spot to fish

 

[jakeway]

Kramer is good with the anchor, I'll give him that.

I spent a couple hours there Tuesday morning and only caught 4 skipjack. Water temp was 60 degrees (only 47 at Flippers) but very little current.

There were a few striper fishers there, but they were having trouble catching bait, too.

 

[gil1]

I spent a couple hours there Tuesday morning and only caught 4 skipjack. Water temp was 60 degrees (only 47 at Flippers) but very little current.

I wonder what the deal is. With this cold weather, your arm should have been worn out.

About 15 years ago, the November skipjack bite was phenomenal. The really big 2 1/2 plus pounders would come in before it got really cold in the year. Sometimes, we fished in 55 degree weather and almost always wore the big boys out.

I have no idea why it has gotten a little tougher each year since. It's still good fishing, but we just got spoiled and didn't know what we had.

 

[B.D.]

Not sure I can agree about "a little tougher each year," Gil. There were piles and piles of skipjack last year.

They definitely are not as thick this year - not sure why. They have cyclical populations like everything else, of course. Also, the stripers seem thicker this year than last year in the area - maybe the presence of more predators is keeping the skippies scattered.

bd

 

[gil1]

Not sure I can agree about "a little tougher each year," Gil. There were piles and piles of skipjack last year.

They definitely are not as thick this year - not sure why. They have cyclical populations like everything else, of course. Also, the stripers seem thicker this year than last year in the area - maybe the presence of more predators is keeping the skippies scattered.

bd

Yeah, I only went twice last year so I'm a little out of the loop, but those two trips were pretty bad compared to many years ago. We still caught plenty of fish, but it just wasn't the bite every cast deal that it once was. It used to be that by the end of November, I was usually "skippied out." It seems that the fly shop folks haven't reported as much November skippie talk as they used to.