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Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 5:43 am, the temperature outside is 49.3 degrees.

Today will be partly sunny and warm with a high temperature in the mid-60’s.

We will have some rain this week and a couple of days with cooler to cold temperatures at night. Next weekend will be warm again, though there is a chance for rain.

Little River is flowing at 267 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 2.15 feet on the flow gauge. Median flow for this date is 387 cfs. The water temperature is 52.2 degrees this morning.

Fishing is good thanks to the water temperatures being over 50 degrees. Trout feeding activity is high, at least in the low to mid-elevations. Today will be warm. Water temperatures may rise more.

This is a very good day to fish in the Smokies.

I have not heard any news from customers who fished yesterday. I worked all day at home on our online store. Daniel told me fishing was fair yesterday, which is what I expected.

Today will be better. The water is warmer this morning, than it was yesterday morning. I would expect sporadic hatches of Blue Wing Olives, Blue Quills, Quill Gordons. You may see Hendricksons. A Red Quill dry fly pattern might be handy to have in your box.

For sure, have several sizes of the Parachute Adams. The Parachute Adams mimics many early Spring mayflies. One of our readers sent me a photo taken near Metcalf Bottoms, of a group of craneflies he saw on the water. I have never had Cranefly patterns in my fly box, but maybe it’s a good idea to do so.

I would not be out there without a Quill Gordon wet fly, or a Blue Wing Olive Emerger. If there are these adults on the surface, and trout are feeding below, an emerger or wet fly may save the day. You can fish these alone or used as a dropper below a dry fly.

Of course, be prepared to fish with nymphs. Pheasant Tail and Blue Wing Olive nymphs are both good choices. You might want to fish them tandem, with the smaller fly trailing the larger fly.

Unless the trout are selective, just about any reasonable pattern will work when the fishing conditions are this good. The trout’s metabolism is in high gear. They need food.

Fishing will probably be good just about anywhere in the Park. It may be slow in the highest elevations, where the water is colder. But, maybe not.

I would fish any of the three prongs of Little River, or walk up Lynn Camp Prong, above the Cascade and beyond, to catch brook trout. Fishing is usually better, the further you walk above the Cascade. I like to start about 1.5 to 2 miles above the trailhead confluence with Thunderhead Prong.

We probably won’t have a nicer fishing day, after today, until next weekend.

I hope you can go. Spring fly fishing is here, in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Check the TVA website, specifically the Holston River, below Cherokee Dam. TVA is still sluicing and generating at Norris Dam. Check out Douglas Dam on the TVA site. They are releasing less water at some dams. That is a good.

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

Byron Begley
March 18, 2018

Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com