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 6:03 am, the temperature outside is 40.5 degrees.

Today will be partly sunny with a high temperature in the mid-40’s. Light rain is falling now, but that should end soon. Tonight’s low will dip into the mid 20’s.

Little River is flowing at 242 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 2.17 feet on the flow gauge. Median flow for this date is 150 cfs. The water temperature is 51.1 degrees.

Yesterday and last night was very warm. The Knoxville Airport reported .25” of rain fell there overnight. We got .32” in Townsend. I worked yesterday, and wondered if anglers were fishing in the Park, and if fishing was good. It was windy most of the day and very windy late in the day.

Right now, the streams are flowing higher and it is hard to tell if the water levels have peaked. I will know shortly one way or the other. You can check the USGS Little River Townsend site later this morning and find out yourself. Click on the link below.

You might do OK fishing today in the Park. The water is fairly warm right now. Some streams could be stained and they may be still rising. Nymphing will be your best method unless you are lucky enough to encounter a blue wing olive hatch. Be prepared for that.

It is going to be chilly and a little breezy. Dress appropriately.

Highway 441 from Gatlinburg to Cherokee was closed late yesterday due to high winds and debris on the roads. There is no indication that the road has re-opened. The light rain we are getting here, may be in the form of snow in the high elevations. Weather predictions for Newfound Gap and Mount LeConte indicate a slight chance for snow this morning.

Fishing will be best in the low elevations anyway, where the water is warmer. I would avoid the high elevations this morning. You might find slick or closed roads.

Water temperatures will fall tonight, then fluctuate all week. Expect some warm days this week, but cold nights. I think fishing will be fair or slow at times. Post spawn brown trout are hungry. You could catch a Smokies trout of a lifetime. Brook trout may be active too.

Heck, go today and give it a try.

Our new online store has been very active. Our mail order business “took off” after the launch. If you opened an account on our old online store, you will have to do it again on the new one. We are sorry for the inconvenience. This is a totally new store that replaced our old outdated one. It is even located on a different server. I think you will find the new store to be a better shopping or “looking around” experience. And, you will see more items for sale all Winter long.

I noticed one customer was charged sales tax on a gift card. We changed the order for them and fixed the problem. Sales tax is charged when customers redeem their cards, if you order and the shipment goes to a location in Tennessee, or if you buy directly at the shop.

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

Byron Begley
November 19, 2017

Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com