Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:42 am, the temperature is 61 degrees.

It will be mostly sunny today with a high temperature in the low to middle 80’s and a low chance for thunderstorms this afternoon.

Tomorrow will be sunny with a high in the low to middle 80’s.

It will be very warm Sunday with a high around 90 degrees. There is a heightened chance for thunderstorms Sunday night.

Thunderstorms are likely Monday through at least Thursday next week.

Little River is flowing at 58.9 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 1.46 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 148 cfs. The water temperature is 66.5 degrees this morning. Yesterday, the water temperature rose to almost 70 degrees and peaked at about 5:30 pm at the low elevation USGS gauge near Townsend.

Most streams in the mountains are flowing lower than median flow. Some streams are flowing close to normal while others are flowing lower. Water temperatures are warming. The trend will continue through Sunday. We should all consider fishing in the higher elevations where the water is cooler. Look for water temperatures in the middle 60’s or cooler later in the afternoons.

Trout are hiding in the choppy broken water, in deeper runs and plunge pools. Stealth is essential to your success, especially when the streams are flowing low. Dress to blend with the forest.

Dry flies and nymphs are working. You might consider trying terrestrial patterns. A foam beetle is a good example. A Green Weenie is another example. Dry flies that mimic a Yellow Sally Stonefly are good choices too.

Fishing for stocked trout probably varies by rivers. Some low elevation rivers are warm. Some are flowing lower than others. Small nymphs are good fly choices. Streamers may work too in some rivers.

Fishing for smallmouth bass, rock bass and panfish in the lowland rivers is good. Some of these rivers are flowing low. Fish in the deep pools with streamers, crayfish patterns, foam floating flies or poppers. Fish the shaded areas if they are available. I would go early or late.

This will be a fair lake fishing day. It might be a little breezy at times today, which can be an advantage. A little chop on the water can be a good thing. Go early or late when the sun is low. Move to shaded banks when the sun is high. Top water flies will work best in dimly lit areas. Use weighted streamers or swimming nymphs when the sun is brighter and get them down deep.

Visit the TVA website to check the predicted flows at your favorite tailwater. The generation schedules vary greatly depending on the tailwater you plan to fish. There will be long periods of generation later today at some dams. You can work with that if you plan carefully whether you are wading or boating.

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

Byron Begley
June 16, 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