If you do not see today’s Fishing Report, please refresh your browser to empty your cache.

Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. It is a pretty summer morning here at the edge of the mountains. It is 74 degrees and partly sunny. Byron is out on one of the lakes hopefully casting to a big smallmouth. We'll find out tomorrow.

Rain fell on the Smokies yesterday but didn't raise water levels much. The streamflow gauge on Little River is giving a reading of 1.90 feet or 184 c.f.s. This is a little above the daily normal of 124 c.f.s. The streams should be running clear.

Water temperatures at the gauge (which is low elevation) is 67F. Higher elevation streams like Lynn Camp Prong, Little River above Elkmont, and Walker Camp Prong will be much cooler. Fishing is best first thing in the morning or also later in the day.

Anglers have been having good success in the mountains using both dries and nymphs. Fishing a bushy dry like a Yellow Stimulator or Neversink Caddis with a dropper below it can be very effective. Green Weenies and Barbie Bugs make excellent dropper flies.

Summer in Tennessee brings the possibility of afternoon thunderstorms. The heat and moist air can cause them to appear out of nowhere. When you are out fishing it is important to keep an eye on water levels. We are conscious, or should be, on the tailwaters where the dam release can start and water levels can rise rapidly. In the mountains you need to be vigilant also. Even if the sun is shining where you are fishing there could be a storm far up the watershed, even hours before. A downpour can cause flash flooding. If you notice a change in water clarity or if you begin to see debris the smart course is to make sure you are on the trail or road side of the stream. This will give you an out if water levels rise. From the far side of the river you could be stuck for hours before the stream drops low enough to wade across. I wouldn't let a weather forecast keep me from going but I definitely want to be smart about it.

I better get this posted before it is too late to be relevant. Have a great day and thank you for being here with us.

Daniel Drake
June 25, 2018

Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com