Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:38 am, the temperature is 60 degrees.

Everyone was talking about the heat yesterday. A record for the date was set at the Knoxville Airport, at 89 degrees, last set in 1934 at 87 degrees. A local personal weather station I watch in Townsend recorded a high temperature of 87.8 degrees yesterday.

It will be cooler today with a high temperature in the upper 70’s and a chance for showers and thunderstorms. Showers and thunderstorms are predicted tonight with a low temperature around 50 degrees.

Showers are predicted tomorrow. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch are possible. It will be cooler, with a high in the upper 50’s and a low overnight in the middle to upper 40’s.

Showers will continue Saturday and Saturday night with a high in the upper 50’s and a low around 40 degrees. Sunday will be mostly sunny with a high in the upper 60’s.

Little River is flowing at 209 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 2.09 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 375 cfs. The water temperature is 60.6 degrees at the Townsend gauge. Yesterday, the water temperature topped out at 62.8 degrees.

Streams in the mountains are flowing lower than normal for this date. Water temperatures are good, even in the higher elevations.

If you go fishing in the mountains today, you will find trout actively feeding. Many species of aquatic insects will be active. Trout will be taking nymphs, wet flies, emergers and dry flies. More important than fly selection is getting a good drift. The trout are hungry and willing but your flies must be drifting naturally. Dress to blend with the forest and do everything you can to avoid being seen by the trout.

Fishing for stocked trout in the low elevation rivers is good. Nymphs, egg patterns, squirmy worms, caddis emergers, midge pupa and streamers are good fly choices.

Fishing for smallmouth bass and rock bass in the lowland rivers should be good today due to the much warmer water conditions. Nymphs and streamers may work best but you should also try foam floating flies and poppers.

Lake fishing is improving as the water warms. This may not be a good lake fishing day due to the chance for thunderstorms and breezy conditions this afternoon. It will be overcast which is a good lake fishing condition. Try casting streamers along the rocky banks. My favorite early Spring streamer is a large weighted black Wooly Bugger.

There are breaks in the generation scheduled at a few dams today. If you are hoping to fish on a tailwater, check the TVA website to plan your day. Look at the predicted flows at Cherokee, Douglas, Norris, South Holston and Chatuge dams if you are planning to wade. If you are boating there may be other options.

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

Byron Begley
April 6, 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