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Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 5:15 am, the temperature outside is 29.1 degrees.
Warmer air has moved into the Smokies. Yesterday morning when I wrote this report, the temperature was 16 degrees. It is much warmer this morning.
We can expect a high today in the low 50’s dropping to around 40 degrees tonight. We have a slight chance for rain late this afternoon and a high chance tonight. High winds are expected tonight, in the foothills and mountains. Rain will continue tomorrow. The wind will die down tomorrow afternoon.
Little River is flowing at 350 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 2.40 feet at the Townsend USGS gauge. Median flow for this date is 292 cfs. The water temperature is 39.9 degrees and warming.
Stream temperatures are warming. Yesterday morning, the water temperature at the low elevation site on Little River was 37 degrees. That number is near 40 this morning.
The water temperature at the Birdtown gauge on Oconaluftee River is 39.0 degrees, while yesterday at this time it was 36.3 degrees.
Cataloochee Creek is colder this morning due to the higher elevation where the gauge site is located. The temperature is 37.0 degrees this morning. Yesterday at this time, the water temp was 32.4 degrees.
It will be warmer today, tonight and tomorrow, so we’ll see the water temperatures rise some. Fishing will improve over the next couple of days though I don’t think we will be able to call it “good”. Maybe it will be fair.
Stream flows in the Smokies are receding for now. The flow on Little River is on the high side of good. There is rain in the forecast so we may see stream levels rise tonight and tomorrow.
If you go, plan on using nymphs and streamers. Get them down deep.
TVA and the Corps are still drawing down the lakes. I didn’t see any tailwater fishing opportunities today. Maybe I missed something so check the flows yourself.
Business at the shop is typical for January. We are slow on weekdays and fairly busy on the weekends. The fly tying department is busy. I will be ordering materials and tools again today, something I do every week.
Laurel Creek Road, from above Tremont Road to Cades Cove is closed for repairs on the Bote Mountain Tunnel. Contractors hope to have the road re-opened by the end of next month. I have seen many Park Service trucks driving on Old Cades Cove Road where we live. They must be using Rich Mountain Road to access Cades Cove. That road is closed during the Winter and it is a one-way road out of the Cove. The gates are locked. They have keys.
Business owners in Townsend have been wondering for a while, how the road closure would affect their Winter business. I never thought it would affect our business much and I don’t think it has. Fishermen can access most streams in our area except Abrams Creek and the tributaries.
I will say this, it seems there is much less traffic in town than I’ve seen during January before except when the roads are slick. Paul noticed the same thing. I’m sure everyone has.
It appears we will have warmer than normal days and nights through February 6th if you believe the long term forecast. I do see some snow in the forecast at times but the temperatures will probably be too warm for the snow to stick to the roads here.
That will be different in the mountains. Two inches or more snow has been reported on the ground in the highest elevations. US Highway 441 (Newfound Gap Road) is open today. The road closed temporarily on January 20th due to ice and snow. The road opened the next day.
Have a great day and thank you for being here with us.
Byron Begley
January 23, 2020
Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com |
