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 4:42 am, the temperature is 54.7 degrees.

It will be warm today, with a high near 70 degrees and a low tonight around 50. We have a chance for showers early, then it will be cloudy this afternoon. It will remain warm early this week, with a chance for rain every day.

Little River is flowing at 246 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 2.08 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 329 cfs. The water temperature is 52.5 degrees this morning.

Streams in the Smokies are flowing lower than normal today. Water temperatures are ideal in the lower elevations. Trout are actively feeding. Quill Gordons and other aquatic insect adults are on the water at times. Yesterday, I heard about a good blue wing olive hatch. Fishing is good.

Surely by now, the trout have become accustomed to feeding on the surface. It usually takes a few days for that to happen each Spring. The food is there, and they forgot. Be prepared with nymphs, wet flies, dry flies and enjoy the beginning of Spring fishing in the mountains.

Lowland river fishing where trout are stocked is good. Many of the rivers exiting the mountains have been stocked. Nymphs, egg patterns and streamers will work.

Water temperatures in these rivers are still cooler than smallmouth bass prefer. They may be somewhat active, but fishing for them will get much better when the water is warmer.

TVA and the Corps of Engineers will be generating at most dams today. You might find angler friendly flows below one or more dams from the list below. We will all be happy when they begin filling the lakes for the boating season.

We are busy at the shop. There were five of us working yesterday. We didn’t have much down time.  

I have been receiving and displaying fly tying materials and tools. I’ll be doing the same thing today. I guess I’ll be doing that from now on. I hope so. I love the fact that customers drive long distances to visit the store and our fly tying department.  

We have some new and interesting materials for you to try. I plan to get those out today. Another shipment will arrive tomorrow. Then, we will re-order from most if not all of our suppliers Tuesday.

I got up at 4:30 this morning and it felt like 3:30. It will be almost dark when I drive to the shop today. This “Spring Forward” thing kind of messes with me.  

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

Byron Begley
March 14, 2021  

Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com