Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:39 am, the temperature is 67.8 degrees.
A widespread band of thunderstorms moved over parts of Tennessee yesterday, with heavy rain in the path. The storms weakened somewhat before arriving in our area. We got .94 inches of rain in Townsend yesterday.
It will be cooler today, with a high temperature in the middle 80’s. We have a fairly low chance for thunderstorms today. There is a higher chance for thunderstorms tomorrow and Thursday. Friday through Sunday will be hot, with highs in the 90’s and no chance for rain.
Little River is flowing at 151 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 1.82 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 123 cfs. The water temperature is 70.0 degrees at the low elevation USGS gauge site near Townsend.
Most streams in the mountains are flowing at or higher than normal this morning. Normal in July is low. Tellico River is rising quickly this morning. Most if not all streams are very fishable. There is a low chance you may encounter rising water and possibly stained water in some streams today.
Water temperatures are warm in the low elevations. Fish in the higher elevations where the water is cooler. Look for temperatures in the middle 60’s at midday.
Trout are taking dry flies and nymphs. Two good dry fly patterns are yellow sally stonefly imitations or foam beetles. A dry with a nymph dropper is a good tactic. A Green Weenie is an excellent choice for your dropper.
Most lowland rivers are flowing low, which is normal. Fishing for smallmouth bass, rock bass and panfish is fair to good. Fish in the deeper pools and runs using poppers, foam floating flies, nymphs, streamers or crayfish patterns.
If you go lake fishing today, go early. Launch at daybreak and fish the banks with poppers, foam floating flies, streamers or swimming nymphs. As the sun rises, move to find shaded banks to fish.
You may see gamefish attacking shad on the surface when the light is dim. If you decide to give it a try, move slowly and quietly toward the shad school. Try a Puglisi Threadfish Shad, Clowser Minnow or Wiggle Minnow. Once the sunlight hits the water, the school of shad and the gamefish will be deeper because the plankton will be deeper. You won’t know where the shad are unless you happen to see them on your depth finder.
TVA and the Corps will begin generating either late this morning or early afternoon at many dams today. The Norris Dam schedule indicates one generator will be running all day beginning at 8 am.
This will be kind of a normal July fishing day. Water levels are normal. The air temperature will be close to average. According to the Weather Channel website, the average high temperatures in July is 83 degrees in Townsend. The average low is 63 degrees. I know that sounds impossible and untrue. I’ve been looking at that number every July and have not seen it change.
Have a great day and thank you for being here with us.
Byron Begley
July 19, 2022
Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com
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