Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 5:19 am, the temperature is 27 degrees.

It is going to be sunny and warmer today with a high in the upper 60’s dropping to the low 40’s tonight. It will be mostly cloudy tomorrow morning before clearing later. The high temperature will be in the middle to upper 60’s with a low in the low 40’s overnight.

Little River is flowing at 39.6 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 1.27 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 126 cfs. The water temperature is 42.6 degrees this morning at the low elevation USGS gauge site near Townsend. Yesterday, the temperature rose to only 45 degrees at that location.

All streams in the mountains are flowing low. Water temperatures are below the trout’s preferred range at all elevations. Trout are spooky and sluggish. Some adult brown trout are spawning or preparing to spawn and out in the open. Some may have already spawned. Most trout are holding in broken water trying to stay hidden from predators.

If you go, nymphs will probably be your best fly choices. Drift your flies through pockets, plunge pools, deeper runs and eddies.

Fishing for smallmouth bass in the lowland rivers will be slow due to the cold water. if you go, try streamers or crayfish imitations.

There are generation schedules you can work with today at a few dams. Most breaks in the generation will occur in the late morning to afternoon hours with some exceptions. Check the TVA website to see what tailwater fishing options you have today.

It is going to be warmer next week. It looks like our first chance for rain will be Thursday night and continuing through Friday.

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

Byron Begley
November 4, 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