Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. It looks like it will be a beautiful day to be out in the mountains.  The Bigfoot Festival has passed and the weather folks have pushed back the rain till late in the day.  Time to fish and explore the outside world.

Water levels continue to be low in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  We are more than an inch below the normal amount and over 4 inches below last year.  The weather forecast is calling for rain this week so hopefully that will allow us to catch up.

This morning the flow on Little River is 1.79 feet or 127 c.f.s.  This is below the daily normal of 248 c.f.s.  The streams are flowing clear.

Water temperatures are in good shape.  This morning the gauge is reading a temp of 56F.  Not quite warm enough for wet wading.  

The hatches are transitioning into the lighter color pallet.  Sulphurs, Yellow Sallies, Tan caddis etc have all been fishing well.  Normally, this time of year, we would be fishing larger sizes.  This year with the low water conditions the trout are favoring small flies.  Have a selection of #16 and even #18 patterns in your box.  You may even want to pick up a new spool of 6X tippet.  After the rain this week we may return to a more normal size range but until then, size does matter. 

Low clear water means spooky trout.  You will need to be extra stealthy.  Good presentation of the fly on the first cast is key.  The wiley trout aren't going to give you many chances to fool them.

Smallmouth fishing has been picking up.  Warmer water in the low elevation streams gets them much more active.  Crayfish, minnow patterns and top water poppers are what your box needs to be full of.  

Taking a quick look at the tailwater releases it could be a good day to be out on the big waters.  Most dams appear to be running a pulsing type schedule of periods of no release followed by an hour of flow.  Check with the TVA before heading out so you can time it correctly.  

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

Daniel Drake
May 7, 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.

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