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Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 6:41 am, the temperature outside is 34.2 degrees.

Today will be sunny and warm, with a high temperature in the low to mid-60’s. Tonight’s low temperature will fall into the mid-40’s.

Little River is flowing at 323 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 2.29 feet on the flow gauge. Median flow for this date is 317 cfs. The water temperature is 53.8 degrees this morning, according to the USGS web page. I am not sure if that number is correct. There seems to have been a malfunction with either their equipment, or their reporting. The water may be colder. The gauge site at Cataloochee Creek is reporting temps at 44 degrees.

Flows are normal. Water temperatures may be OK, in Little River, if the USGS web page is correct.

So, fishing may be good at least on our side of the Park in the lower elevations. Or, fishing may not be good.

If you go, be prepared to use nymphs, dry flies or wet flies. Take the water temperature yourself, on the stream. If the number is in the 40’s, fishing will be slower. If the temperature is in the 50’s, fishing should be fair to good.

Rain arrives again tomorrow. It is a slow moving front. We may see heavy rain through Thursday. The worst may miss us. A flood watch has been issued for areas along and west of I-75, where the heaviest rain is expected to occur. The National Weather Service is not sure heavy rain will not affect the Smokies. They say all areas outside the Flood Watch Area should be alert for potential flooding.

I know, there are a lot of “ifs”, “ands” and “buts” in today’s fishing report. There is a high level of uncertainty.

The rain will be gone by Friday. We should expect sunny days this coming weekend. Now, the new problem is for us is, it will be cold at night, with temperatures dropping to the upper 20’s and 30’s again.

Bradford pear trees are in full bloom. Daffodils have bloomed. Tulips have risen from the ground. Many trees are displaying new leaves, everywhere you look. And we may see frost Friday. That is what happens when spring comes early like it did. Fishing was good. Now it may slow for a while.

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is pouring water through the dams. We have had a lot of rain and more is expected. Fly fishing for trout in our local tailwaters is not recommended. Those rivers have not been a fishing option lately. Parts of Norris Lake lie within the flood watch area. TVA is sluicing at Norris Dam. They are attempting to lower the lakes to gain storage capacity, knowing that more rain is predicted and the usual Spring rains are likely soon.

Here we have it, not exactly a glowing fishing report. If you go today, the freestone streams we have in the mountains are probably your best option.

UPDATE 9:55 AM - I CHECKED THE USGS GAUGE TEMPERATURE AGAIN. THE LAST READING OCCURED YESTERDAY. I'M SURE THE WATER IS COLDER THAN INDICATED ON THAT WEB PAGE. THE TEMP COULD BE IN THE 40'S, WHICH WOULD MEAN FISHING WILL BE SLOWER.

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

Byron Begley
February 27, 2018