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Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:43 am, the temperature is 36.6 degrees.

It will be partly sunny today with a high temperature in the middle 50’s, falling to the middle 30’s tonight. Showers are likely tonight though heavy rain is not expected. There is a slight chance for showers tomorrow morning before ending and clearing. The high temperature is predicted to be in the upper 50’s.

Rainfall in Townsend amounted to 1.5 inches yesterday beginning at midnight. Streams in the Smokies were flowing extremely high yesterday. They are receding but still flowing high. Water temperatures are plunging this morning.

Little River is flowing at 1,310 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 3.73 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 345 cfs. The water temperature is 46.6 degrees and falling.

Little Pigeon River is flowing at 3,730 cfs, 4.88 feet, which compares to median flow of 638 cfs at the Sevierville gauge.

Oconaluftee River is flowing at 1,570 cfs, 6.13 feet, compared to median flow of 631 cfs. The water temperature is 45.0 degrees and falling.

Tellico River is flowing at 1,170 cfs, 3.57 feet, compared to median flow of 329 cfs for this date.

Cataloochee Creek is flowing at 434 cfs, 3.57 feet, which compares to media flow of 136 cfs for this date. The water temperature is 43.9 degrees and falling.

From the sample above, it is safe to say “Streams in the Smokies are flowing very high”. Safe wading is limited. Water temperatures are below the trout’s preferred range and falling. Fishing in the Smokies will be slow today.

Lowland rivers that exit the mountains are flowing very high. Yesterday, Little River in Townsend swelled to almost 4.5 feet. Flood stage is 7 feet.

TVA and the Corps will be generating around the clock at most dams today. Tailwater fishing is very limited. You may find a workable schedule on a tailwater by checking the TVA website from the list below. I didn’t see anything this morning but I did not check all schedules.

I don’t see any significant rain predicted over the next few days in the long term forecast. Temperatures will be cold at night this week. Water temperatures in the mountains and lowland rivers will likely remain cold. A warming trend is supposed to begin next Tuesday with temperatures in the 40’s and 50’s at night. We should have warm days, in the 60’s and 70’s. Fishing in the Smokies will improve next week unless the weather pattern changes.

Spring fishing will hopefully begin next week.

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

Byron Begley
March 2, 2021  

Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com