Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:48 am, the temperature in Townsend is 31 degrees.

It will be mostly cloudy early before becoming sunny later with a high in the low 60’s and a low tonight in the low 30’s.

Tomorrow will be sunny with a high around 60 degrees and a low in the low 30’s.

Sunday will be partly sunny with a high in the upper 50’s.

Little River is flowing at 409 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 2.50 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 315 cfs. The water temperature is 42.1 degrees this morning.

Streams in the mountains continue to recede and most are now flowing fairly close to normal. The streams are chilly this morning. We will enjoy a warming trend over the next few days. Temperatures will be warmer than normal. Water temperatures will rise during the day and fall overnight through early next week. The nights should be warmer later next week. Fishing will improve.

We will not see significant improvement in the fishing until the water temperature reach the upper 40’s to over 50 degrees. At that point, everything changes. Trout and possibly aquatic insects will become active.

Fishing will continue to improve in the stocked trout streams. Most of these rivers are in the lower elevations where the water is warmer. Weighted nymph rigs and streamers will work best for you.

TVA and the Corps will be generating all day at several dams. There are breaks in the generation planned at others, mostly in the afternoon hours. Visit the TVA website from the links below to plan your tailwater fishing day.

Anglers are preparing for Spring this month. And, fly fishing Spring may arrive later this month. It has before. Every year, we are busier at the shop in February, than we are in January. Our Spring merchandise orders are arriving. I saw large orders arrive from Simms and Orvis this week and there may have been others.   

We have some great free fly tying demonstrations planned for this weekend.

Bryan Begbie will be tying tomorrow, (Saturday February 3rd) between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. Brian runs the fly fishing program at Blackberry Farm and Blackberry Mountain resorts. He is an incredible fly tyer and a professional guide. He is an avid Smokies angler, tailwater fisherman and musky fly fishing enthusiast. Brian will be tying flies that he uses when guiding his clients for trout.

David Knapp will be tying Sunday (February 4th) between 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm. David is an exceptional fly fishing guide, who specializes in trout angling in the mountains and on the tailwaters. He is well known for his very popular blog, “The Trout Zone”.  He also enjoys fly fishing for smallmouth bass in small rivers. David will be demonstrating tying his favorite trout patterns.  

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

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

Byron Begley
February 2, 2024

We are holding an all-day Beginner Fly Tying Classe on Saturday February 17th. Taking this class 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