Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:32 am, the temperature is 55 degrees.

Today will be mostly cloudy early today then gradually becoming sunny later.  The high temperature will be in the middle to upper 70’s with a low tonight in the low 50’s. We have a slight chance for thunderstorms today and a much higher chance overnight.

There is a chance for showers and thunderstorms early tomorrow before clearing later in the afternoon. The high will be in the upper 60’s with a low in the low 40’s overnight.

Little River is flowing at 184 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 2.01 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 250 cfs. The water temperature is 56.1 degrees this morning.

Some streams in the mountains are flowing slightly lower than normal while others are flowing somewhat higher. All streams that have USGS gauges are flowing at good fishing levels. The streams have warmed at most elevations to within the trout’s preferred range.

Fishing in the Smokies will be good today. Trout will be taking nymphs, wet flies, emergers and dry flies. You should have some Yellow Sally Stonefly and Light Cahill dry flies in your box.

Fishing for stocked trout in the low elevation rivers will be good today thanks to the near normal flows and ideal water temperatures. Nymphs, emergers, caddis pupa, midge pupa, squirmy worms and small streamers are good fly choices.

Fishing for smallmouth bass has improved in the lowland rivers. Nymphs, streamers, crayfish and hellgrammite patterns are good fly picks. Try foam floating flies or poppers which might work as well.

This may be a good lake fishing day. It will be overcast early which is when I would go. It could be breezy at times this afternoon but winds are expected to be calm early. Cast to the rocky banks or cover with weighted streamers and you may do well fishing for smallmouth bass and other gamefish. It may be too early in the Spring but you might want to try foam floating flies or poppers.

We have a lot of tailwater fishing options today. There are long beaks with short pulses planned at most dams in the region. This will be an excellent day to fish on a tailwater whether you are wading or boating. Check the TVA website from the links below to plan your fishing day.

As we have moved into later Spring, fishing has improved significantly in the Southeast. Fly anglers are actively pursuing our sport. Customers are planning their fishing trips to other areas. We are having an excellent month at the shop. We have also had a very good year.

The shop is very well stocked, like I can’t remember before. That is due to a strategic move on our part and it is paying off.

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

Byron Begley
April 29, 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