Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:38 am, the temperature is 45 degrees.
Rainfall over the past 24 hours has amounted to around one half inch at two different Townsend weather stations. Rain showers will continue every day this week through Friday. Thunderstorms are also possible. High temperatures through the period will be in the 60’s with lows in the middle 50’s most nights but in the middle 40’s Friday night. The weekend will be sunny and cooler.
Little River is flowing at 209 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 2.04 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 246 cfs. The water temperature is 46.6 degrees this morning.
Most streams in the Smokies are rising slowly. Tellico River is rising quickly and is flowing higher than median flow. None of the streams are flowing too high to safely wade and fish. That may change over the next few days.
Water temperatures will rise this week. Fishing will improve unless we get too much rain. If you go fishing in the mountains today, weighted nymphs or nymph rigs will be your best option. Streamers may produce too. You may see blue wing olive or other aquatic insects hatching this week. If trout are feeding on the surface, consider switching to a dry fly and emerger combination.
Fishing for stocked trout in the lowland rivers is probably fair and may be good. As water temperatures warm, fishing will improve as the week progresses, barring high water. Nymphs will likely work best.
Fishing for smallmouth bass in the lowland rivers will likely be slow today but we should see some improvement in the water temperatures over the next few days. Again, high water conditions may be an issue as more rain is predicted each day through Friday. If you go, try nymphs or streamers.
TVA and the Corps will be generating all day at most dams. I saw short three to four hour breaks at a couple of the dams I checked this morning. Visit the TVA website to see what tailwater fishing options you have today.
Have a great day and thank you for being here with us.
Byron Begley
December 6, 2022
FREE FLY TYING DEMONSTRATIONS HELD ON SATURDAYS BETWEEN 10 AM AND 2 PM. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS SHOW UP. THIS SATURDAY WILL BE OUR LAST FREE DEMONSTRATION HELD THIS YEAR. WE WILL RESUME THE DEMONSTRATIONS IN EARLY JANUARY.
Saturday December 10th - Jonathan Yeager - Jonathan is also known as the "Fly Doctor". He is a professor at UT Chatanooga. He ties flies commercially and sells them to his customers. He is an avid fly fisherman who spends his fishing time on wild trout streams in the Appalachians and stocked tailwaters.
Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com
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