Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:34 am, the temperature is 68 degrees.

We got some rain overnight, up to .39 inches at local personal weather stations. I can hear thunder in the distance and close by. It is raining again.

We can expect showers and thunderstorms mostly before 10 am this morning. So, we have five hours before the predicted break. Some storms may contain heavy rain and gusty winds. The high temperature today will be around 80 degrees. 

There is a chance for showers and thunderstorms tomorrow, with a high in the low to middle 80’s.

Little River is flowing at 117 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 1.70 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 122 cfs. The river is rising. The water temperature is 69.6 degrees this morning.

Most streams in the Smokies are flowing near normal for now. Some rivers are rising, including Tellico River, Cataloochee Creek and Little River. The streams are warm in the low elevations.

I would not be surprised if more streams in the mountains rise over the next few hours. If you are planning to fish in the mountains today, you may want to wait a while to see what happens. Some of the rivers have USGS gauge sites which can warn you about high water conditions. Many of these gauges are located in the lower reaches of the rivers. Sometimes it takes a while for the water to begin rising at the gauge sites after the rain has begun to fall upstream.

If you go, plan to fish in the middle to higher elevations where the water is cooler. Nymphs or dry flies will work for you.

Fishing in the lowland rivers may be good today, or maybe it won’t. These rivers are prone to staining due to heavy rain events. That may happen today. You will know more later this morning. Check the USGS gauges before you go. If you find stained water, drive further upstream.

This could be a good lake fishing day. It may be breezy with gusts as high as 20 miles per hour. Thunderstorms are likely this morning. After the storms pass, it may be overcast at least for a while.

I can’t tell you how many times I have waited at the ramp from daybreak until later in the morning for storms to move out. When they do, I launch the boat and begin fishing. Fishing can be very good on the lakes after storms have passed. Be ready with streamers, swimming nymphs, foam floating flies or poppers.

TVA and the Corps will be generating for long periods today at some dams, with long breaks planned at others. Check the TVA website from the links below to see what tailwater fishing options you have today.

It is raining and I am almost constantly hearing thunder right now. I hate writing the fishing report during a thunderstorm. I never know when the power will fail. That has happened many times during the past 15 years.

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

Byron Begley
August 10, 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