Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 6:08 am, the temperature is 56 degrees.

Light rain has been falling since 3:30 am this morning. Showers and thunderstorms are likely today, mainly before noon. It will be cloudy this morning before becoming sunny later today. The high temperature is predicted to be in the middle 70’s, dropping to the low 40’s tonight. It may be breezy at times today, with winds gusting as high as 25 miles per hour. Rain is not predicted to be heavy except in possible thunderstorms.

Tomorrow will be sunny and breezy with a high in the middle 60’s and a low in the low 40’s overnight. Winds may gust as high as 30 miles per hour.

Little River is flowing at 196 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 2.05 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 285 cfs. The water temperature is 57.7 degrees at the low elevation gauge near Townsend.

Most streams in the mountains are flowing lower than normal. Some are just now beginning to slowly rise. Water temperatures are perfect for trout activity in the low to middle elevations.

If you go fishing in the mountains today, expect nymphs, wet flies and dry flies to produce for you. Overcast skies and light rain are a good conditions. I would go early. Wind may be an issue.

Fly fishing for stocked trout in the low elevation rivers will be good today. Nymphs, squirmy worms, small streamers and possibly midge pupa are all good fly choices.

Fly fishing for smallmouth bass in the lowland rivers is improving as the rivers warm. Nymphs and streamers will likely work best for you. It is possible foam floating flies or poppers may work as well. Give them a try.

This may not be a great lake fishing day. It will be cloudy early and sunny later today. It will also be breezy. If you go, hit the rocky banks or cover with weighted streamers. Retrieve slow to allow your fly to sink as it reaches deeper water. I would go early and fish close to the ramp, anticipating windy conditions and rough water. Watch for approaching thunderstorms.

There will be long periods of no generation with occasional pulsing at most dams today. Tailwater anglers have many options. Visit the TVA website from the links below to see what your options are.

This has been a very busy weekend at the shop so far. In fact, April has been an excellent month for us, up considerably from last year. Fishing is good in the region and anglers are enjoying their time on the water. People are traveling. We are seeing many new customers.

The shop will be open today from 9 am until 5 pm.

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

Byron Begley
April 16, 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