Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:42 am, the temperature is 34 degrees.
Rainfall amounts varied yesterday, with .76 inches reported at one Townsend personal weather station and .23 inches at another near our home.
It will be sunny and cool today with a high temperature in the upper 40’s, dropping to the high teens tonight. Tomorrow will be sunny and colder with a high in the upper 30’s and a low in the low 20’s.
Little River is flowing at 568 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 2.76 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 390 cfs. The water temperature is 46.8 degrees this morning and falling.
Most streams in the mountains are flowing higher than normal. Some are flowing higher than anglers prefer. You may find swift water in some areas so be careful wading. The rivers are receding and will continue to do so through the weekend. Water temperatures are below the trout’s preferred range and falling this morning.
We may see the water warm somewhat later today but probably not much. Water temperatures will fall tonight and tomorrow night.
If you go fishing in the mountains today, stand in safe water casting weighted nymphs or nymph rigs. Fish in the low elevations where the water is warmer.
Fishing for stocked trout in the low elevations will be fair today, or possibly better. Stocked trout are more tolerant of cooler water conditions. Sub-surface flies will work best for you. Weighted nymphs, nymph rigs, egg patterns, squirmy worms, midge pupa or small streamers are all good fly choices.
Some lowland rivers are flowing fairly high and wading will be limited.
Fishing for smallmouth bass in these rivers will likely be slow today and through the weekend due to the cool water temperatures.
TVA and the Corps of Engineers are planning pauses in the generation at several dams today, especially this afternoon. There are some tailwater fishing opportunities available today. Check the TVA website from the links below and plan accordingly. Hopefully you can spend some time fishing on your favorite tailwater.
Have a great day and thank you for being here with us.
Byron Begley
March 18, 2023
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Parking Tags are now required to park your vehicle inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park for more than 15 minutes. Tags may be purchased at Visitors Centers, including the center in Townsend. Or, they may be purchased online. You can buy a daily, weekly or annual tag. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com
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