Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:44 am, the temperature is 48 degrees.

It is raining this morning. So far about a quarter of an inch of rain is being reported at local Townsend weather stations.

Showers will continue through the morning. It will be windy today with winds of 25 to 30 mph gusting to as high as 55 mph. The high temperature today will be around 60 degrees falling to the low 30’s tonight. Tomorrow will be colder with a high in the upper 30’s and a slight chance for rain or snow showers. Tomorrow night will be very cold, with a low in the lower 20’s.

Little River is flowing at 347 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 2.39 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 321 cfs. The water temperature is 42.6 degrees this morning.

Most streams in the mountains have receded to about normal for this date. Water temperatures are below the trout’s preferred range.

If you go fishing in the Smokies today, wind is going to be an issue along with cool water temperatures. We may see the water warm somewhat today. I would plan on using weighted nymphs, tandem nymph rigs or streamers. Fish in the lower elevations where the water is warmer and the wind may be less of a problem.

Fishing for stocked trout in the low elevations will be fair at best. Most of the rivers are flowing near normal, unless we get heavy rain today which is not likely but could happen. Use weighted nymphs, nymph rigs or small streamers.

Fishing for smallmouth bass in the lowland rivers will be slow due to the cold water temperatures.

TVA and the Corps will be generating all day at many dams but there are pauses planned at a few, including Wolf Creek, Dale Hollow and Chatuge. Check the TVA website to see if you can work with the generation schedule at your favorite tailwater.

Joe Mathis called me yesterday and we chatted for a while. Joe owns Firehole Outdoors. We have been selling their very popular hooks and beads for about two years. Though we have never actually met, we have become long distance friends. Joe’s wife Deb, passed away last year. He and his son and daughter live in Kalispell, Montana.

He told me, they have had only about a week’s worth of sunny days since Thanksgiving. It has been cold there, as you can imagine. Kalispell is a gateway town to Glacier National Park. We hope to get together in March. They are also in the business of manufacturing firearm ammunition and selling direct to consumers. I think he told me the machine they bought, knocks out about 2,000 rounds per hour.

Traffic and visitation has been very light in Townsend now that the holidays are over. I normally drive to the shop to work at 7:15 am each morning. Now that the days are getting longer, the sky is usually dimly lit on my commute and I am thankful for that.

I drive through a school zone on the main street through town. The lights are flashing every morning on weekdays. There is almost always a policeman, waiting to catch people speeding through the zone. Believe it or not, people do ignore those flashing lights and signs which are impossible to miss. And, they get a ticket. I don’t know which officers are working during the early mornings. It is dark and I can’t see who they are. Someday I am going to stop and ask, “What do they say when you pull them over?”

We will be holding free fly tying demonstrations at the shop Saturday and Sunday.

Hunter Palmer will be tying Saturday from 10 am until 2 pm. Hunter is a professional guide from Gatlinburg who takes his clients fishing in the Smoky Mountains and nearby rivers.

Steve Gregg will be demonstrating Sunday between 1 pm and 3 pm. Steve is a fly tying instructor working at the Orvis store in Sevierville. He will be tying his favorite flies used in the mountains and tailwaters.

You do not need an appointment to attend these free demonstrations. Just show up at the shop and learn from these guys.

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

Byron Begley
January 25, 2023

FREE FLY TYING DEMONSTRATIONS EACH WEEKEND THROUGH EARLY MARCH

We will be holding many free fly tying demonstrations on the weekends over the next two months, some on Saturdays and others on Sunday afternoons. CLICK HERE to see the list of fly tyers who will be demonstrating, including the dates and times. These demonstrations are free. No reservation is necessary. All you have to do is show up at the shop. This schedule could change due to unforeseeable circumstances, including weather conditions, sickness or other causes. Check this fishing report where any cancellations or changes will be posted.

Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com