If you do not see today’s Fishing Report, please refresh your browser to empty your cache.

Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 5:46 am, the temperature outside is 68.2 degrees.

Today will be mostly sunny with a high temperature in the mid to upper 80’s. We have a low chance for thunderstorms this afternoon. Tomorrow will be warmer with a low chance for afternoon thunderstorms. Thunderstorms are likely Sunday.

Heavy rain fell yesterday morning as storms moved from the west into Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Knoxville Airport reports 1.01” fell during the past 24 hours. We got .97” in Townsend. The Park got much more rain. Clingmans Dome reported 2.54 inches of rain.

Little River rose to flood stage, 8,000 cubic feet per second or 8.5’ on the USGS Gauge. Elkmont Campground was evacuated early yesterday. Campers were moved to Sugarlands Visitors Center. They were able to move back to the campground after noon. Little River Road and the Metcalf Bottoms picnic area closed, but re-opened later in the day.

Little River is flowing at 1,350 cfs or 3.79 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 103 cfs.

Little Pigeon River is flowing at 1,720 cfs or 3.47 feet on the gauge, compared to median flow of 230 cfs.

Oconaluftee is flowing at 1,040 cfs, compared to a median flow of 310 cfs.

Cataloochee Creek is flowing at 208 cfs, compared to 61 cfs median flow.

The Spring at Abrams Creek is reporting 42.3 cfs.

All streams in the Park that have flow gauges have been receding since yesterday afternoon and should continue to recede today and tomorrow, barring any additional rain.

Most large streams in the Park are flowing too high to wade right now. They will slowly fall to a fishable level for wading anglers. I don’t know when you will be able to wade Little River. Watch for gauge readings of 2.5 feet, which is on the high side of good.

I would fish a higher elevation, small stream today. I don’t know what it is like out there, and which streams you should choose. Wherever you go, be careful wading. The streams will be more angler friendly later today and probably much better tomorrow.

I’m going to call fishing “slow” today. You may find good fishable water, but most streams will be flowing high. If you are fishing with a professional guide, they will know what to do. Though you may not be able to safely wade in some rivers, you can still fish close to the bank, by “high sticking” weighted nymph rigs.

The streams should be clear in the Park. Some lowland rivers may be stained. Lake levels in the area do not seem to be affected by the rain, not yet. Hopefully TVA won’t be generating, spilling or sluicing due to the heavy rainfall we had yesterday. Maybe the heavy rain missed those watersheds. Time will tell.

The lakes have been fishing fair for shallow water anglers. I have not had much luck with poppers or foam top water flies on the lakes for smallmouth or largemouth bass. I’ve done best with Puglisi Threadfin Shad and large weighted Wooly Buggers. Big bluegill are taking small poppers in coves and on flats. A BoogleBug Amnesia Bug, size #10 in the color Solar Flare is a good choice. We have seen some evidence of bluegill spawning, but not much where I’ve been fishing.

I will probably go Monday unless I get “weathered out” by thunderstorms.

It has been hard to plan due to all of this rain and thunderstorms. Fish like water and there is plenty to go around.

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

Byron Begley
June 29, 2018

Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com