Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:40 am, the temperature is 51 degrees.
Today will be sunny with a high temperature in the low 70’s dropping to the low 50’s tonight. Tomorrow will be mostly sunny with a high in the middle to upper 70’s and a slight chance for showers. Heavy rain is expected tomorrow night.
Heavy rain is predicted Thursday with showers likely overnight and through Friday.
Newfound Gap Road between Gatlinburg and Cherokee was closed early yesterday morning due to high winds. I just checked the Park’s Roads Twitter Page and evidently it is still closed.
Little River is flowing at 606 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 2.81 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 357 cfs. The water temperature is 53.4 degrees this morning.
Streams in the mountains are flowing higher than normal. Some are flowing quite a bit higher. Tellico River is flowing close to normal. All rivers that have USGS gauge sites are receding. Water temperatures are very good in the low elevations, well within the trout’s preferred range. Trout are actively feeding on sub-surface flies and dry flies. Many species of aquatic insects are active.
If you go today, find streams or areas of streams that are suitable for fishing during higher water conditions. Be careful wading. You will do well using weighted nymphs. Or try dry flies. A dry fly with a nymph or emerger dropper is a good choice. Watch for hatches and trout rising to the adults or emergers. Switch to a pattern that best mimics what you see on the water. Fish in the lower elevations where the water is warmer.
Fishing for stocked trout in the low elevation rivers is good, though some rivers may be flowing high and wading could be limited. I heard Little River was stocked with trout yesterday in Townsend. That has not been verified to me by anglers.
You will do well using nymphs or other sub-surface attractor fly patterns. And, you may catch trout on dry flies or streamers.
TVA and the Corps of Engineers are generating, sluicing and in one case spilling at most dams today. They are attempting to lower the lakes to their desired levels for water storage during the Spring rains. Check the predicted flows at South Holston Dam. That may be a possibility today.
Starting tomorrow, you will need to buy a permit to park your vehicle in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. You can buy daily, weekly or annual passes. They are available online or at Visitors Centers, including the one in Townsend. You can read more on the Park’s website by CLICKING HERE.
Saturday will be our last Free Fly Tying Demonstration for the Winter season. Our featured fly tyers are Walter Babb and Ray Ball. They will be demonstrating their tying skills and entertaining you from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm at the shop.
You should try to attend this event. Walter and Ray are both local fly fishing legends, having spent most of their life fly fishing in the Smoky Mountains. Believe me, they will have some stories to tell. You will enjoy your time with Walter and Ray. They will be demonstrating at different locations in the store.
You do not need a reservation. Just show up at the shop.
Have a great day and thank you for being here with us.
Byron Begley
February 28, 2023
Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com
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