Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:50 am, the temperature is 37 degrees.

Today will be mostly sunny with a high temperature in the middle 60’s. It will be breezy today with gusts as high as 20 miles per hour.

Showers are likely tonight or by early tomorrow morning with a low around 50 degrees. It will be windy tonight, with gusts as high as 35 miles per hour.

Tomorrow will be windy and wet. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an in are possible. Showers will continue overnight. The high temperature will be in the middle 60’s falling to the low 40’s overnight.

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 169 cfs. The water temperature is 48.9 degrees this morning.

Streams in the mountains are flowing very low. Water temperatures are chilly and falling even in the low elevations. Fishing will be better later today when the water is warmer. Fish in the low elevations today where the water is warmer.

The trout are spooky. Stay hidden and you will catch more. Use fine tippet. Cast as long as possible while still getting a good drift. Nymphs are working. Dry flies may produce at times.

Fishing for smallmouth bass in the lowland rivers may be slow until the water warms later today. The rivers are flowing very low. Fish in the deeper pools using streamers or crayfish imitations.

There are reasonable generation schedules planned at a few dams today allowing for tailwater angling opportunities. Check the TVA website from the links below to plan a day or partial day fishing on a tailwater.

We will be seeing many visitors this week here to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. Some are camping, some have rented cabins and others are staying in motels and lodges. Hopefully the streams will be flowing at higher levels following the rain that is predicted. Maybe the burn ban will be lifted.

We will be closed Thanksgiving day.

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

Byron Begley
November 20, 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