Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. I just woke up to rain falling here at my house in Maryville.  The rain we were forecast to get yesterday never happened but it is coming today.  

Currently, water levels in the Little River are good.  The gauge is giving a reading of 2.04 feet or 209 c.f.s.  This is higher than the daily normal flow of 94 c.f.s.  It is raining and it can take a while for flows to reach and read on the gauge so take that into consideration if you are planning on fishing today.  You can find a link to many stream flow gauges lower down on this page.

Water temperatures are still in good shape.  This morning the Little River is at 68 F.  The gauge is located at a low elevation so up where you are likely to be fishing the water is going to be cooler.

Fishing has been good across  the Smokies.  Higher elevation streams are cooler and have been fishing better.  It is also more comfortable for us humans to fish where the air is cooler.  Anglers have been fishing with a varied selection of patterns.  The normal ones like Yellow Stimulators, Yellow Sallies, Smoky Mountain Candy etc are all good.  Most people are running a dropper below their dry fly.  Green Weenies, Squirmy Worms, and Pheasant Tails are all good choices.  Terrestrial patterns like beetles and ants can be very effective too. 

Rain and thunderstorms are the forecast for the weather today.  Scattered rain can cause flash flooding so always be aware of water conditions and have a plan for getting out of the stream and back to the road or trail.

The manufacturers sales reps have started their fall migration.  Visiting fly shops and showing us new products for 2024.  So far we haven't seen many ground breaking new products.  It seems like the big companies are playing it kind of safe and focusing on availability of the good products they already have.  A few a planning on finally having their new products promised in 2022.  We got to cast a prototype for a new new Echo fly rod that is going to come in 6wt and heavier.  It was REALLY nice.  The in hand weight of the rod is shockingly light.  The 7wt feels like a 5wt but still has the casting distance and lifting power you would want in a great smallmouth rod.  I think that is going to be available later this fall.  We haven't seen Orvis yet but I'm expecting them to have a new high end rod to replace the H3 which has been out for several years.

Re-checking the streamflow gauge it looks like water levels might be coming up some.  Check the gauge before heading to the mountains.  The rest of the week is going to be dry and warm again.  Summer isn't over yet.  Stop in and see us when you head to the river.

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

Daniel Drake
August 29, 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