Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:46 am, the temperature is 50 degrees.

It will be cloudy early today before clearing later with a high temperature in the low 60’s. There is a slight chance for showers tonight with a low temperature in the low 40’s. There is a slight chance for showers tomorrow but otherwise being sunny with a high in the low 60’s.

Little River is flowing at 41.0 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 1.28 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 145 cfs. The water temperature is 53.8 degrees this morning.

Though up to a quarter of an inch of rain was predicted yesterday, we got almost none. Streams in the Smokies are still flowing very low. The drought situation in the southern States has worsened. You can see the updated U.S. Drought Monitor by CLICKING HERE. Click on your region of interest and click on a state for a more detailed view.

The trout are spooky. Some people will find they are difficult to catch. They are active and taking dry flies or nymphs. To be successful you will need to be sneaky. Dress to blend with the forest. Use fine tippet. Show the trout your leader, not your fly line. Small flies may work best.

Fishing for smallmouth bass in the lowland rivers is fair at best and maybe slow in some rivers or areas of rivers. Of course, the rivers are flowing very low. Fish in the deeper pools and runs using streamers or crayfish imitations.

If fishing on a tailwater is your plan to day you will find some generation schedules you can work with. Visit the TVA website from the link below to see what tailwater fishing options you have today.

We will be hold a Free Fly Tying Demonstration today, Saturday November 11th,  from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm. The featured fly tyer will be Matt Dixon, who is a local tailwater fly fishing guide. Matt will be tying streamers that he uses to catch large trout. All you have to do is show up at the shop.

It is Veterans Day, the day when we celebrate all present and past members of the U.S. Military. There will be parades and other celebrations across America. I am a U.S. Army Veteran. I’ll be celebrating by working today and as usual, I’m looking forward to it.

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

Byron Begley
November 11, 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