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 5:39 am, the temperature is 49.6 degrees.

It will be raining today in the valley with up to ¾ of an inch expected. The high temperature will be in the upper 40’s. A wintery mix, including freezing rain, is predicted in the higher elevations of the Smokies to our north and along the border into Kentucky and Virginia. We have a slight chance for rain tomorrow. It will be colder tomorrow, with a high in the upper 30’s.

Little River is flowing at 411 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 2.48 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 286 cfs. The water temperature is 46.4 degrees this morning.

Most streams in the Smokies are flowing at or slightly higher than normal. Some rose a little yesterday, probably due to snow melt. The streams warmed some yesterday.

Water temperatures are not ideal but you might have a shot at catching a trout or two. Fish the low elevations where the water is warmer. Weighted nymph rigs will probably work best for you.

Lowland river fishing is slow except for the possibility of some success in the areas of the streams that are stocked with trout. Use nymphs, egg patterns or streamers.

Wade fishing in the area tailwaters will be limited today by generation at many dams. If you are boating, you have more options. I saw a break in the generation schedules at Center Hill Dam and South Holston Dam this afternoon. Maybe you can work with that. There may be other options. Visit the TVA website from the links below to see what is available to you today.

Today, Will and David A will be receiving and displaying fly tying materials from a large Wapsi order that arrived yesterday. We are finally getting golden pheasant tippets in stock. They have been unavailable for weeks and turned off on our online store.  

I am pouring through sales reports and identifying each item we sell in the fly tying department that sells well and is likely to be out of stock from our suppliers at times.  I spent most of yesterday doing that. If they are available, we will be stocking more to avoid being out of stock during shortages from our suppliers.

Last year, Great Smoky Mountains National Park management tried something new at Cades Cove. The Loop Road was closed to vehicle traffic on Wednesdays, giving pedestrians and bicyclists exclusive use of the road all day from late Spring until early Fall. The plan also included opening the road to vehicles all day on Saturdays, which before last year, opened at 10:00 am.

Other than some parking issues, the plan was popular. They have decided to do that again this year, from May 5th to September 1st. When you fish on upper Abrams Creek on Wednesdays during this period, plan on riding your bicycle or taking a long hike. You might have the creek pretty much to yourself and you will benefit from getting plenty of exercise.

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

Byron Begley
February 11, 2021

Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com