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Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:45 am, the temperature is 65.8 degrees.

Light rain fell overnight with only .07” in Townsend and .29” reported at Cades Cove. Heavier rain fell in other areas of the Smokies.

We have a chance for showers and possibly thunderstorms today with a high temperature in the high 70’s. I can see a band of rain moving north through western North Carolina and into the east Tennessee mountains on the radar. Tomorrow will be warmer, in the low 80’s, with a chance for spotty showers and thunderstorms.

Little River is flowing at 96.0 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 1.58 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 129 cfs. The water temperature is 68.4 degrees this morning.

Rain fell in the Little Pigeon watershed overnight. The river is now receding and flowing at 210 cfs, compared to median flow of 274 cfs.

Oconaluftee River is rising sharply at the Birdtown gauge. Flow is currently 765 cfs, 2.28 feet, compared to median flow of 287 cfs.

Tellico River was not affected by rain last night but is still flowing higher than normal.

Cataloochee Creek rose overnight but just peaked at 99.8 cfs, compared to median flow of 59 cfs.

As you can see from this sample, some streams are rising, others are receding and some where not affected by rain. Water temperatures are warm in the low elevations. Fish higher where the water is cooler for the health of the trout you catch and release.

Dry flies and nymphs will work. A dry and dropper rig is a good option. Try a terrestrial dry fly with a nymph or Green Weenie dropper. Fish the broken water where the trout are hiding. Dress to blend with the forest and fish the broken water in riffles, deeper runs and plunge pools.

Some lowland rivers are flowing lower than normal while others are not. Unless we get heavy rain, which is not predicted, many of these rivers that flow out of the mountains should not be stained. Try poppers, foam floating flies, streamers and crayfish patterns for smallmouth bass, rock bass and panfish.

TVA and the Corps of Engineers are offering varying generation schedules at dams in our area. There are tailwater fishing options, whether you are wading or boating, depending on the river you plan to fish. Check the TVA website from the links below to see what our options are and plan accordingly.

This could be a very good lake fishing day. It should be mostly cloudy which benefits the angler using fly fishing tackle. You might try fishing the banks with poppers, foam floating flies, streamers and swimming nymphs. Be prepared for both.

Watch for baitfish balls on the surface in the open water, with game fish feeding on the shad. That can happen of cloudy days. If you see that, try a very quiet approach to get within casting distance with your trolling motor or drift in that direction using the breeze for propulsion. Don’t get too close, the noise from the trolling motor may spook the game fish. Be very quiet, sit instead of standing, and cast streamers that mimic a small threadfin shad into the school of bait. You might catch just about anything.

Traffic is very light in Townsend, which is normal in August. You may find the same thing in the Smokies. This is going to be a nice day to fish in the mountains as it will be overcast and cool. Take a rain jacket. You may need it.

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

Byron Begley
August 4, 2021

WALTER BABB MADE BAMBOO FLY RODS FOR SALE – CLICK HERE

Walter is selling a selection of over 50 bamboo fly rods. All but one was made by him. The other one was custom made for Walter by Walton Powell. Read the description of each rod on the list and contact him if you are interested in buying one or more than one. Even if you are not interested in a purchase, this web page is very interesting to read. Walter has made over 285 bamboo rods over the past 20-years. You will be working directly with Walter on a purchase and you can test cast the rods before you buy one at his home. Or, call him and he will ship a rod to you. His contact information is on the web page he and I created.

Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com