Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:42 am, the temperature is 47 degrees.

Today will be sunny with a high temperature in the upper 70’s dropping to the low 50’s tonight.

It will be sunny tomorrow and warmer, with a high in the low to middle 80’s.

Sunday will be mostly sunny with a high in the low 80’s. Showers are likely Sunday afternoon, Sunday night and Monday. Chances for rain range from 60% to 90% during the period.

Little River is flowing very low at 58.9 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 1.46 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 150 cfs. The lowest recorded flow on this date was 54.0 cfs in 1988. The water temperature is 62.1 degrees.

Streams in the Smokies are all flowing lower than normal with some approaching record lows for this date, including Little River. Water temperatures are plunging and within the trout’s preferred range.

If you go fishing in the mountains today, concentrate on the choppy broken water in runs and plunge pools where the trout are hiding from predators. Take all precautions to stay hidden from the trout, including wearing clothing that blends with the forest. Use light tippet. Trout are taking dry flies and nymphs.

Fishing for stocked trout in the low elevation rivers is fair. Stocked trout will be holding in the deeper pools and runs. Falling water temperatures will be beneficial today. Use small nymphs and fine tippet.

Fishing for smallmouth bass, rock bass and panfish is fair in the lowland rivers. Fish in the deeper pools with streamers, crayfish patterns, foam floating flies and poppers. Fish in the shaded areas if they are available.

Fly fishing on the lakes will be best early or late when the sun is low. When the sun is higher, seek out shaded banks to fish. Cast to the banks and cover with streamers, swimming nymphs, foam floating flies and poppers. Winds will be light today.

TVA and the Corps are offering a varying assortment of generation schedules today. You can work with some of these schedules on most tailwaters with careful planning. Visit the TVA website from the links below to plan your tailwater fishing day.

The US Drought Monitor was updated yesterday morning. Some areas in East Tennessee are abnormally dry. There is an area that is rated as being in a moderate drought, including parts of Blount, Sevier, Knox, Anderson and other counties.

There are no areas of moderate drought in North Carolina. There are some areas in western North Carolina rated as being abnormally dry.

You can view the US Drought Monitor by CLICKING HERE. Click on your region or a state within that region for a more detailed view.

The long term weather forecast indicates we will see somewhat cooler temperatures with fairly high chances for scattered thunderstorms beginning Sunday and continuing through Friday June 16th.

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

Byron Begley
June 9, 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