Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 5:48 am, the temperature is 40 degrees.

Today will be mostly sunny with a high temperature around 40 degrees falling to the middle 20’s overnight. We are under a “Winter Storm Warming” tonight through tomorrow night. There is a chance for sleet and snow through the period. The high temperature tomorrow will be in the low 30’s dropping to the low 20’s overnight.

Some roads in the Smokies re-opened yesterday, after closing temporarily due to downed trees. Little River Road is now open. Cades Cove Loop Road is still closed. I think Newfound Gap Road is still closed.

Little River is flowing at 414 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 2.51 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 308 cfs. The water temperature is 38.7 degrees this morning.

Most streams in the mountains are flowing higher than normal. The streams are cold at all elevations. The water will not warm much today. Fishing will likely be slow. If you go, wade in safe water casting weighted nymph rigs.

Fishing for stocked trout in the low elevations may be fair today. Or, fishing could be slow due to the cold water conditions. Try weighted nymphs, egg patterns, Squirmy Worms or other sub-surface flies.

You could fish a tailwater today. There are breaks in the generation planned at a few dams. Click through the list of dams on the TVA website to see if there is a generation schedule that will work for you.

Bob Stephan will be conducting a Free Fly Tying Demonstration this afternoon from 1:00 pm until 3:00 pm at the shop. You do not need a reservation to attend. Just show up at the shop.

Bob is a well-known and respected fly tyer, demonstrator and instructor. He is President of the Clinch River Chapter of Trout Unlimited, lives in Norris Tennessee and loves to fly fish on the Clinch River. You will really enjoy your afternoon with Bob so come on by the shop and hang out for a while.

We had a large crowd at yesterday’s free fly tying demonstration featuring Jack Gregory. This is a holiday weekend so we saw many out-of-town visitors at the shop yesterday. It was a busy day.   

Have a great day and thank you for being here with us.

Byron Begley
January 14, 2024

We are hold two all-day Beginner Fly Tying Classes on Saturday January 27th and Saturday February 17th. Taking one of these classes will give you a huge jump start into the wonderful hobby of fly tying. The class costs $100, which includes all the materials you will need for the day and the use of our vises and tools. We will also provide lunch for you. Space is limited so call the shop at 865-448-9459 soon to book your spot.

Join us on the weekends during the Winter for our Free Fly Tying Demonstrations.   You don’t need a reservation. Just show up. You can view our schedule by CLICKING HERE.

WALTER BABB BAMBOO RODS FOR SALE - Buy directly from Walter. CLICK HERE for more information.

Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com