Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:52 am, the temperature is 57 degrees.

It will be sunny today with a high temperature in the low 80’s. There is a fair chance for showers and thunderstorms tomorrow with a high in the upper 70’s and a low in the upper 50’s. We could certainly use some rain.

Little River is flowing at 57.1 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 1.40 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 76 cfs. The water temperature is 63.0 degrees this morning.

Most streams in the Smokies are flowing lower than normal. Normal in September is low.

Trout are hiding in the broken choppy water or near cover. You will need to break out your low water tactics to catch them. Stay hidden. Wear clothing that blends with the forest. Downsize to lighter tippet, maybe 6X. Drop a Green Weenie off of a foam beetle or a yellow Stimulator and you should catch trout. Fishing will be best in the slightly higher elevations where the water is cooler.

Fishing for smallmouth bass, rock bass and panfish is fair to good. You will need to fish in the deeper pools and runs. Fishing would be better if the rivers were flowing higher. Streamers, crayfish patterns, foam floating flies or poppers are all good fly choices.

It will be sunny again today. Fishing on the lakes will be best early or late when the sun is low. Cast to the banks and cover with weighted streamers or swimming nymphs.

There are some generation schedules you can work with today but not many if you are planning to wade fish on a tailwater. If you are boating you have more options. Look at your options on the TVA website from the links below to plan your tailwater fishing day.

Two students at Tusculum University found what may be a new crayfish species. They captured the crayfish near the campus nature trail. This is a burrowing crayfish that is blue. Carl Williams from Tennessee Wildlife Resources was contacted and is involved. He is the agency’s crayfish expert. DNA testing will determine if this is actually a new species. You can read more on the WBIR website by CLICKING HERE.

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

Byron Begley
September 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