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Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. Today is much colder than the weather we have been having. The air temperature here in Townsend right now is 33F and snow flurries are falling. Atleast it isn't raining.
Yesterday.... The Knoxville Airport recorded 2.33 inches of rain. This doesn't seem like a lot but somehow it caused widespread flooding. The Little River rose very quickly. Yesterday afternoon it peaked around or over 11.5 feet on the gauge. Flood stage for Little River is 8 feet.
People were being evactuated from houses along the river. A little after noon US 321 was closed because of water over the road. The pictures are video I saw online were crazy. Big rains will cause the Little River to rage but the last time I can remember it being this high was in May of 2003. That day the river got to 12 feet on the gauge. The highest ever recorded was March 1994 when it got to 15.75 feet. That time it may have gotten higher but I heard that the gauge was washed away.
Needless to say fishing today is pretty much a waste of time in East Tennessee. The Little Pigeon system is just as bad. Pictures I saw from the North Carolina side of the mountains show the same extremely high water levels.
Water levels are receding. This morning the Little River is down to 5.42 feet or 2,910 c.f.s. The daily normal is 338 c.f.s. Whitewater kayakers prefer the Little River around 3 feet on the gauge.
The water temperature gauge on the website isn't working right now. If it was I expect that we would see a fairly sharp drop in the water temperature. Last night was cold and this morning it is snowing. Cooling water tends to put the trout off their feed.
Fishing is going to be very difficult at best this weekend. It is the perfect time to spend time inside. This Saturday's FREE Fly Tying Demo is Bill Boyd Sr and Bill Boyd Jr aka the Dubbing Teasers. They are great fly tyers and always entertaining. Their demo starts at 10am and goes until 2pm.
The roads to Townsend are OPEN and clear. In the Smokies Newfound Gap/US 441 is closed due to high water. Little River Road is closed from Sugarlands Visitor Center to Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area. The upper Tremont Road (the gravel portion) is also closed.
Thanks for reading the fishing report this morning. Come out and see us tomorrow and watch some great fly tying!
Daniel Drake
February 6, 2020
Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com |