Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:40 am, the temperature is 73 degrees.

Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:42 am, the temperature is 71 degrees.

This is going to be the last hot day this week and hopefully this year. It will be mostly sunny with a high around 89 degrees with a chance for afternoon showers and thunderstorms.

Tomorrow will be cooler with a high in the middle 80’s. There is a chance for showers early then showers and thunderstorms are likely later in the day. Showers and thunderstorms are likely overnight.

Monday will be much cooler with a high around 80 degrees. Showers and thunderstorms are likely. The balance of the week will be cool with highs in the 70’s some days.

Little River is flowing at 121 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 1.72 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 104 cfs. The water temperature is 71.8 degrees this morning. Yesterday, the water temperature peaked at 73.8 degrees at 4:00 pm.

Most streams in the Smokies are flowing at or higher than normal. Normal in late August is low.

Streams in the lower elevations are very warm. They are so warm, catching and releasing a trout could be lethal to the fish. You can fish in the higher elevations and find much cooler water. It is also a good idea to fish early when the water is cooler. Look for water temperatures in the middle 60’s or cooler.

This whole water temperature situation will change over the next few days. It will be much cooler, day and night. Fishing will improve, even in the lower elevations.

If you go today, a dry and dropper rig will work for you. Try a Yellow Sally Stonefly imitation with a Green Weenie dropper.

The lowland rivers are flowing low for now. We may see that change quickly too, over the next few days. Smallmouth bass, rock bass and panfish can be caught now. Fish in the deeper pools or runs using streamers, crayfish imitations, foam floating flies or poppers.

This will be a hot day on the lakes and there will likely be plenty of recreation boat traffic. My advice is to go early. In fact, I would be at the ramp launching right now though it is still dark outside. Hit the banks and cover with weighted streamers or swimming nymphs. You might do well for a while using foam floating flies or poppers, especially on the cooler lakes. As the sun rises, seek shaded areas to fish.

TVA and the Corps will be generating for long periods today at many dams. There are a few generation schedules you can work with if you are flexible. Visit the TVA website from the links below to see what tailwater fishing options you have.

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

Byron Begley
August 26, 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