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Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:42 am, the temperature outside is 66.8 degrees.

It will be hot today with only a slight chance for rain tonight. Tomorrow will be hot again with a good chance for thunderstorms day and night. Thunderstorms are likely Saturday and it will be a little cooler. Sunday will be cooler with a 40% chance for thunderstorms.

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PREDICTED HIGHS AND LOWS TODAY

Little River is flowing at 196 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 1.94 feet on the flow gauge. Median flow for this date is 133 cfs. The water temperature is 66.5 degrees this morning.

Stream flows in the Smoky Mountains have receded, but they are still flowing above normal for this time of the year. After today, rain is predicted for several consecutive days through August 22nd. It appears rainfall will continue to be above normal for the remainder of August.

Much of the Eastern United States is free of drought. To our West there is a much different report. Severe to exception drought conditions remain. You can visit the United States Drought Monitor website by CLICKING HERE.

Fishing remains good, especially for August, in the Smokies. You will find warm water temperatures in the low elevations for a few days at least, which is normal. We always urge anglers to fish in the mid to high elevations, where the fishing is better, and, healthier for trout you catch and release.

I would fish on the East Prong of Little River above Elkmont, Lynn Camp Prong, or the upper West Prong of Little River in our neck of the woods. For solitude, cool water and shaded conditions, hike to Fish Camp Prong above Elkmont. Abrams Creek might be fishing well. The water should be cool at and below the Falls Trailhead. Thunderhead Prong and its tributaries should be fishing well.  

You might fish any tributary of the West Prong of the Little Pigeon river. Hike up Deep Creek near Bryson City. Many tributaries to Cataloochee Creek should be fishing well. Tributaries to Onocoluftee River and the main stream in the higher elevations should be good. You have many choices.

I would go equipped with terrestrials, foam beetles and ants and Green Weenies. A Yellow Stimulator is a great Summer dry fly to use. Any Yellow Sally Stonefly pattern or a Parachute Adams should work. Small bead head nymphs should be tried.

From what I hear from the guides, the Clinch River is fishing well for trout. The lower tailwaters are fishing well for smallmouth bass.

The lowland rivers have receded but they are still flowing higher than normal. Fishing for smallmouth and rock bass is probably fair. I would go early or late unless it is overcast.

The same is true of the lakes. Fishing will be best early and late unless you pick an overcast day. We should have some of those over the next few.

Frank and I are floating the Cumberland River for two days next week. We will be fly fishing for trout with guide Hagan Wonn. We are both looking forward to that.

Jack and I cleaned and power washed the front of our LRO building last week, then painted most of that side Tuesday and yesterday. We started before 7 am each morning, trying to beat the sun moving to the west side while staying out of the way of customers entering and leaving. There is a lot more to do to the front. We are going to change the color to white on the large eve over the front porch. We plan to wait until it cools off some before doing that. We will be up in the eve on walk boards for at least two days. It would be hot up there right now.

I am hiring a professional crew to prep and paint the other three sides of the building next year. Sealing and striping the parking lot will probably be done in September or early October, this year. We have new signs on the pole and the building.

Paula and I bought the property where the shop now stands in 2003. We built the building and moved the shop. We’ve been there now for 14 ½ years. We are conveniently located next to the post office, which is handy since we are in the mail order business. We have never charged for ground shipping. The US Post Office is the most economical way to ship the light items we sell. We have been in the mail order business for over 20 years.

Time flies!

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

Byron Begley
August 16, 2018

Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com