Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:44 am, the temperature is 56 degrees.

Today will be mostly sunny with a high temperature in the high 70’s with a low in the upper 50’s tonight. Tomorrow will be sunny with a high in the upper 70’s and a low in the middle 50’s.

The weekend will be sunny and cooler.

Little River is flowing at 72.7 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 1.47 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 75 cfs. The water temperature is 62.8 degrees this morning.

Most streams in the Smokies are flowing very close to normal. Normal in September is low.

Fishing is good but you should take extra care not be seen by the trout. Dress to blend with the forest and stay low. Trout are hiding in the broken choppy water in plunge pools, pockets, eddies and deeper runs. Trout are taking dry flies and nymphs. Nymphs may be working better. Good dry fly choices are Yellow Sally Stonefly imitations or foam beetles. Green Weenies are working well as a sub-surface fly. Drop one off your dry fly.

Fishing for stocked trout has improved due to the cooler water conditions.

Fishing for smallmouth bass and other species in the lowland rivers is fair to good, depending on the river you are fishing. Most of the rivers are flowing low. Fish in the deeper pools and runs with streamers, crayfish imitations, foam floating flies or poppers.

Fly fishing on the lakes will be best early or late when the sun is low. Weighted streamers or swimming nymphs are good fly choices. Cast to the banks or cover allowing your flies to sink deep. Retrieve slowly to keep them deep. Foam floating flies or poppers might work when the sun is low.

There are some generation schedules you can work with if you are planning to wade fish on a tailwater. If you are boating, there are more options. Visit the TVA website from the links below to plan your tailwater fishing day.

The City of Townsend announced a partnership with Maryville College for a multi-year study of the health of Little River. Help for this study will be also provided by the Arconic Foundation and the Little River Watershed Association. You can read more about this study on the Maryville College website by CLICKING HERE.

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

Byron Begley
September 21, 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