Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:42 am, the temperature in Townsend is 14 degrees.

Warmer days and nights are now in our immediate future. Today will be sunny with a high temperature in the upper 40’s, dropping to around freezing tonight.

Tomorrow will be mostly cloudy with a high in the middle to upper 50’s and a low in the low 40’s. There is the possibility of rain tomorrow afternoon and overnight.

Rain is likely every day Wednesday through Saturday. It will be warm with highs in the 60’s and lows in the 40’s and 50’s. Rainfall is likely to be heavy at times through the period. Snow in the mountains will be melting. We may see high water with possible flooding later this week.

Many roads in the National Park are still closed. They should be opening soon when the snow and ice melts this week.

You can see up-to-date road closings and openings on the Park’s Roads  X (Twitter) page by CLICKING HERE.

Little River is flowing at 209 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 2.02 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 293 cfs. The water temperature is 32 degrees this morning.

Streams in the mountains are flowing lower than normal for now. That will likely change later this week. The streams are cold, causing low feeding activity for trout and other fishes.

Fishing will be slow for stocked trout in the low elevation rivers until the water warms. That will gradually occur this week.

TVA and the Corps will be generating around the clock at many dams to produce electricity that is in high demand. There are some exceptions. Check the schedules at Center Hill, Dale Hollow, South Holston and Chatuge dams.

We have some great Free Fly Tying Demonstrations planned for next weekend. Bob Nanney and Rex Wilson from western North Carolina will be demonstrating Saturday January 27th between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. These guys are well known long-time Smokies anglers and fly tyers.

Justin Pugh will be demonstrating on Sunday January 28th between 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm. Justin is a fly fishing guide at Blackberry Farm and Blackberry Mountain. Justin is an avid streamer tyer and fisherman.

You do not need a reservation to attend these free demonstrations. Just show up at the shop.

If we need to cancel a demonstration due to bad weather, you can find out on this report.

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

Byron Begley
January 22, 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