The paper analyses and compares the discharge of two basic elements of spillway structures in damming structures — bottom outlets and surface spillways. The research was conducted on the example of two actual hydrotechnical structures in Poland, namely the Solina dam on the San River and the Besko dam on the Wisłok River. The comparison included the determination of flow characteristics, discharge values depending on the damming level, and the geometric parameters of the spillway devices. The analysis allowed for the assessment of the efficiency and discharge capacity of individual elements under operating conditions, as well as the identification of differences resulting from the different designs of the two dams.