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Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:31 am, the temperature is 65.3 degrees.

Expect rain showers early today, thundershowers this afternoon, with a high temperature in the low 80’s. “Showers and thunderstorms today may be capable of producing heavy rainfall and gusty winds. The most likely area for storms is over the mountains of East Tennessee, and mainly this afternoon”, according to the National Weather Service.

It will be mostly cloudy tomorrow with scattered showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon, with a high in the middle 80’s. We have a good chance for rain every day through Saturday.

Little River is flowing at 170 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 1.88 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 157 cfs. The water temperature is 65.7 degrees this morning.

Some streams in the Smokies are flowing quite a bit higher than normal, including Oconaluftee River and Tellico River, and there may be others. Little Pigeon River is flowing at normal. Cataloochee Creek is flowing below normal. The nature of these storms that are moving through the Smokies is scattered, so water levels may vary in different drainages.

Trout are taking dry flies and nymphs. Use a Yellow Sally Stonefly dry fly with a Green Weenie dropper and you should do well.

Lowland rivers have been fishing well for smallmouth bass. Some of these rivers exiting the mountains are flowing higher and some could become stained at times today. Others may not. Poppers and foam floating flies are working for the bass and other species. It should be mostly cloudy today which will be beneficial for anglers.

The generation patterns are not changing much for tailwater anglers. TVA and the Corps will be pulsing most of the day for short periods. Generation at some dams will be longer with heavier discharges in the afternoons. Check the TVA website from the links below to see what your options are and plan accordingly.

Overcast skies will be helpful to lake fly fishing anglers this week. Possible thunderstorms may be an issue at times with high winds in some storms and lightning. Bass and panfish are taking poppers, foam floating flies, streamers and swimming nymphs. Watch for surface activity as schools of threadfin shad may active in the main channels with gamefish feeding on them.

I am hearing about large swarms of Brood X cicadas in the area, but there has been no mention of them to me in the mountains. I have not heard or seen one cicada yet this year. They seem to be more active around the lower stretches of the rivers, lakes or the tailwaters.

The rain we are getting this week has been helpful and that should continue. So far, rainfall at the Knoxville Airport is normal for the first week of June.

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

Byron Begley
June 8, 2021  

On October 21, 2020, many of us lost a very good friend. John Thurman of Norris, Tennessee passed away. John was one of the most helpful and truly kind people I have known. He worked tirelessly teaching fly anglers to tie flies, running the TU Trout Camp for children at the Tremont Institute, and sharing his skills and knowledge as a fly fisherman and entomologist with fellow anglers. John bird hunted and fished all over the United States. He was an avid sportsman, a good friend and family man.

A memorial service for John will be held on Sunday June 13th at 2:00 pm, at the Norris Religious Fellowship Church in Norris, Tennessee. The church is located at the corner of East Norris Road and Dogwood Road across from the Norris Middle School. Park in front or behind the Norris Middle School. Handicap parking is located behind the church.

Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com