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Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:37 am, the temperature is 61.3 degrees.
Today will be mostly sunny with a high temperature in the low 60’s, dropping to the upper 30’s tonight. It will be sunny tomorrow with highs and lows similar to today. Monday will be sunny and warmer.
Little River is flowing at 502 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 2.60 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 380 cfs. The water temperature is 52.0 degrees this morning.
Most streams in the mountains are flowing higher than normal. Some anglers prefer higher water like we have now while others do not. Fishing for trout is good in the Smokies, especially in the lower elevations where the water is warmer. Trout are taking nymphs but I have heard some reports of trout taking dry flies too. Aquatic insects are active, with many adult early Spring species being seen by anglers.
I would go today prepared to use nymphs, dries and wet flies. A Parachute Adams dry fly in sizes #12 through #16 mimic many early Spring mayfly hatches. I would certainly have those flies in my box. Fish the low to middle elevation streams where the water is warmer. Look for water temperatures of 50 degrees or warmer.
Trout have been stocked in many lowland rivers flowing out of the mountains. Water temperatures are well within the trout’s preferred range. Sub-surface flies will probably work best.
Stocked lowland rivers in the Southeast states give us a lot of good trout fishing options. I have no idea how many there are but they exist and they are plentiful. Go to the state fish and wildlife websites in Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee. You will find trout streams you have never heard of, that are excellent fisheries.
Every morning I look at the generation schedules at Apalachia, Center Hill, Cherokee, Douglas, Norris, Wilbur, Wolf Creek, South Holston and Chatuge dams. Lately, there have not been many tailwater wade fishing options because TVA and the Corps of Engineers are generating, sluicing and even spilling at many dams, drawing down the reservoirs to the desired elevation. This has been a wet year in the Tennessee River Valley.
I did see there is a long pause in the generation at Wilbur Dam today, and a shorter one at Chatuge. TVA is spilling 240 cfs at Wilbur. That has not been unusual lately. If you live near those tailwaters, check them out and see what you think. Check the schedules at other dams and maybe you will find more options.
We are anxiously awaiting better flows in the tailwaters and hopefully that will happen soon. We could use drier weather for a while.
Have a great day and thank you for being here with us.
Byron Begley
March 19, 2022
Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com
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