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Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:37 am, the temperature is 60.8 degrees.

It will be mostly sunny today with a high temperature around 80 degrees and a low tonight in the upper 50’s. Expect showers and thunderstorms tomorrow with a high in the low 70’s. It may be windy tomorrow morning. Sunday will be mostly sunny with a high near 70 degrees.

Little River is flowing at 354 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 2.35 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 381 cfs. The water temperature is 56.1 degrees this morning.

Stream flows are near normal throughout the Smokies. Water temperatures are excellent, especially in the lower elevations. Aquatic insect activity is high. Trout feeding activity is high.

Fishing in the mountains is good. Nymphs, wet flies and dry flies are working. We could not ask for better conditions, especially in the low to middle elevation streams.

Lowland rivers are flowing near normal. The water has warmed. Fishing is good for trout where they are stocked. Nymphs, egg patterns and streamers are all good choices for trout. Smallmouth bass are probably becoming active. Nymphs and streamers will produce for them too.

I was hoping for some tailwater fishing options today but found none. TVA and the Corps will generating all day at every dam I checked and sluicing or spilling at several. I did not view every generation schedule so check yourself.

After tomorrow, the chance for rain is low through April 23rd. Hopefully we will see breaks in the generation schedules soon.

As the lakes warm, smallmouth bass will be moving into shallow water preparing to spawn. That may be happening now in some lakes. Try a large weighted black Wooly Bugger. I use #2 and 2/0 buggers. Fish the rocky banks. Retrieve your fly slowly.

White bass will be gathering in the mouths of rivers for their annual spawning run. If you are fishing on a lake, cruise up the rivers to see if that is happening. When it does, you will be returning often until the bass have moved up stream. It’s about time. It could be happening now.

You have many fly fishing options today, especially in the free flowing rivers. We are busy at the shop. We have a lot of visiting anglers in town. Our shipping department is busy. Fishing has improved in the South and most people know.

The mountains are gradually turning green. The light green color is moving up toward the mountain ridges that we see from our house. Wildflowers are blooming.

Bears are roaming around in the foothills and mountains. Wild turkeys are mating. We have been seeing a lot of turkeys this year, until hunting season opened last weekend. I have not seen a turkey since. They know.

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

Byron Begley
April 9, 2021   

Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com