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Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 5:20 am, the temperature outside is 65.1 degrees.
Only a trace of rain fell at our house yesterday. It must have rained in the Park yesterday afternoon or last night. Little River is rising right now.
There is a good chance for rain today, tonight and tomorrow. Thunderstorms are possible through the period. Expect high temperatures in the low 80’s.
Little River is flowing at 190 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 1.92 feet on the flow gauge. Median flow for this date is 215 cfs. The water temperature is 64.4 degrees this morning.
It is hard to say if the water is stained in some streams. I kind of doubt it but you never know. That may happen at times over the next couple of days. If thunderstorms dump heavy rain, in some locations in the Park, you may encounter high water. If you do, move to another river. These storms are spotty. Though Little River is rising, it could be, only one prong is causing the rise or maybe two.
The Little Pigeon River is rising fairly quickly. Oconaluftee River is rising and is currently flowing above median flow. Cattaloochee Creek rose quickly around midnight, but it has peaked for now.
Otherwise, fishing conditions are good. Trout fishing is good. Only time will tell if the rivers will continue to rise today or if they will be stained. Obtaining current rainfall numbers in the Park still elude me. They may be available online, but I don’t know where they are.
I get our rainfall and temperature readings from a personal weather station located about ½ mile from our house using Weather Underground. You can view this station by CLICKING HERE.
Go prepared to fish with dry flies or nymphs. Dry fly patterns we are recommending are light colored mayflies and Yellow Sally Stonefly patterns. Nymph choices should include a Bead Head Pheasant Tail and Green or Pink Weenies.
We spotted a green inchworm on our front porch last evening. It seems we have moved into Summer quickly this year. Temperatures in May continue to be much above normal.
You may have noticed at the top of this page, rainfall at the Knoxville Airport is exactly normal for the year. I’ve been writing these fishing reports for over 10 years. I don’t remember that ever happening.
Fishing for trout in the stocked section of Townsend is fair. Go early or late to avoid the crowd of people tubing the river. The fishing is better then anyway. Smallmouth bass and rock bass fishing in lower Little River is good. Heavy rain can stain the lower sections quickly and for longer periods of time. That is the case in all lowland rivers. You may find muddy water in the lower reaches, but clear water in the mountains.
Today will probably be a good lake fishing day, if the thunderstorms don’t get you. Try poppers or foam top water flies. I think it will be overcast all day. That helps extend the top water action all day long. If the sun pops out, you may need to go deep with streamers or Rubber Legged Dragons. Conditions are good for smallmouth bass, largemouth bass and other species, including bluegill, on the lakes.
Yellow Perch, a non-native fish to Tennessee, are thriving and well. I think Jack told me this week, Joe caught over 60, in one day, last week. I have caught a few on the lakes. They will hit about anything a bass or bluegill will bite. I take that back. I don’t think I have caught one on a popper or other top water fly.
Fisheries biologists are not happy about yellow perch moving here. I know. I’ve talked to them. They think yellow perch migrated to Tennessee in some cases, via the Tennessee River, through the locks. But, they are also found in impoundments, where migration would be impossible. In those cases, they were probably stocked by individuals, who love to catch and eat yellow perch.
Exotic species are not always beneficial to the fishery. Sometimes they are, and other times they are not. Rainbow and brown trout are exotics. They are not native to Tennessee or the Great Smoky Mountains. In my way of thinking, they benefit the fishery from a recreational perspective. If they were not stocked below the TVA dams, what would be living there, in the cold water?
From what I hear, the trout tailwaters are fishing well. I’m sure the farm ponds are too.
I just checked the flow again on Little River. It is still rising. Further downstream in Maryville, the river is beginning to rise. The Little Pigeon is still rising. Abrams Creek is barely rising.
It is dawn. Rain is falling here.
Have a great day and thank you for being here with us.
Byron Begley
May 18, 2018
Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com
We have an Aquatic Entomology Class scheduled. It is going to be held on Saturday June 16. The price is just $100 for this all day class. Space is limited so give us a call to get your name on the roster. 865-448-9459. Learn more by CLICKING HERE. |