Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:37 am, the temperature is 66 degrees.

It will be partly cloudy today with a high temperature in the upper 80’s, pushing the 90 degrees mark. There is a slight chance for thunderstorms. It will be warm tonight, in the upper 60’s. There is a chance for thunderstorms. Showers are likely overnight.

Showers are likely tomorrow with a chance for thunderstorms. The high temperature will be in the upper 80’s.

Thunderstorms are likely Saturday.

Little River is flowing at 121 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 1.72 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 146 cfs. The water temperature is 68.5 degrees this morning at the low elevation USGS gauge site near Townsend. The water temperature peaked at 71.1 degrees yesterday at 5:15 pm.

Most streams in the mountains are flowing slightly lower than median flow. Water temperatures are very warm in the low elevations. We should be fishing in the middle to higher elevations where the water is cooler.

Trout are taking dry flies and nymphs. Fishing reports from customers have been generally good. I did talk to one customer yesterday who reported slow fishing in the Elkmont area. He is a good angler, who tried many different flies and techniques, but could not make anything work. He even switched to 6X tippet. Maybe it was just one of those days. I talked to another customer who did well fishing in a brook trout stream at a higher elevation.  

If you go today, try a dry and dropper rig. Fish in the choppy water where the trout are hiding. Dress to blend with the forest so you are less likely to be seen by the trout. Get a good drift and don’t let your fly line land on the water where the trout are holding. Show then your leader instead.

Fly fishing for stocked trout is fair to good depending on which river you are fishing. Some of these rivers are very warm, especially later in the afternoon. Weighted nymphs or tandem nymph rigs are good choices.

Fishing for smallmouth bass and other species in the lowland rivers is good. Though these rivers are flowing at near normal levels, normal in July is low. Fish in the deeper pools with streamers, crayfish imitations, foam flies and poppers. Fish in the shaded areas if possible.

This may be a good lake fishing day if it is indeed overcast at times. I would still go early or late when the sun is low or fish the shaded areas along banks and cover. Try foam floating flies or poppers. If they are not working, switch to weighted streamers or swimming nymphs fished deep.

There are generation schedules at most dams you can work with if you are planning to fish on a tailwater. TVA and the Corps will be generating for long periods later this morning or this afternoon at mamy dams. Check the TVA website to see the generation schedules and carefully plan your tailwater fishing day.

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

Byron Begley
July 13, 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