Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 6:05 am, the temperature is 59 degrees.

Light rain fell in the area late yesterday and overnight. We got slightly less than a quarter of an inch in Townsend.

Today will be mostly sunny with a high temperature in the middle to upper 70’s. No rain is predicted.

Tomorrow will be partly sunny with a low chance for thunderstorms and a high in the low 80’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 193 cfs. The water temperature is 59.9 degrees.

Streams in the mountains are flowing close to normal, some slightly higher and others a little lower. Water temperatures are very good for trout feeding activity.

This should be a very good fishing day in the Smokies. It will be comfortable and dry. Fishing conditions are excellent.

Trout will be taking dry flies, nymphs and wet flies. A Yellow Sally Stonefly pattern is an excellent choice for your dry fly.

Fishing for stocked trout in the low elevation rivers is good. Sub-surface flies such as nymphs, wet flies, emergers, midge pupa, squirmy worms or streamers are all good fly choices.

The lowland rivers are flowing near normal. Fishing for smallmouth bass, rock bass and panfish is good. Nymphs, streamers, crayfish patterns, hellgrammite imitations, foam floating flies and poppers are all good fly choices.

This should be a good lake fishing day. Winds are predicted to be blowing between 5 and 10 miles per hour. It will be mostly sunny so I would go early or late when the sun is low or find shaded banks to fish. I would cast streamers, swimming nymphs, foam floating flies or poppers to the banks or cover.

This is my favorite time of the year to use foam floating flies for smallmouth and largemouth bass. You may find the Smallies on the rocky banks. Or they may be sharing downed trees as cover with largemouth bass. Dragonfly nymphs or small poppers are good flies to use for panfish, including bluegill or shellcrackers. You may find the panfish in shallow water coves.

There are long periods of no generation with intermittent pulsing scheduled at most dams today. Tailwater angler can work with most schedules. Check the TVA website from the links below to plan your tailwater fishing day.

We will be open from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm today with plenty of staff on hand to help you.

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

Byron Begley
May 21, 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