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Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 5:01 am, the temperature is 60.4 degrees.

It is going to be hot for a few days, with high temperatures around 90 degrees, dropping to the low to middle 60’s at night. There is no chance for rain today and only a slight chance Tuesday through Wednesday. Rain may move into the Tennessee Valley by the Weekend.

Though it has been hot, and that will continue for a few days, humidity has been low. The forecast indicates low humidity each day until the weekend. But, it will be cooler this weekend. For instance, I saw one weather website’s prediction of a high in the middle 70’s Saturday.

Little River is flowing at 151 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 1.84 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 186 cfs. The water temperature is 63.1 degrees this morning, and rose to about 66 degrees yesterday at the low elevation gauge site near Townsend.

Some streams in the Smokies are flowing at normal while others are flowing below normal. Water temperatures will be warm in the low elevations over the next few days. You may want to fish in the middle or higher elevation streams where the water is cooler.

Dry flies and nymphs are working well. Trout are actively feeding. We are recommending Yellow Sally Stonefly patterns, especially early and late for your primary dry fly. A small Yellow Stimulator is also a good choice. These well hackled dry flies float high and are easy to see. Other good dry fly choices include Light Cahill and Elk Hair Caddis. A good nymph choice is a small bead head Pheasant Tail. Green or Pink Weenies may work too. Brook trout seem to prefer the pink version.

Will told me yesterday he has been seeing Brood X cicadas in some areas but I have not heard of an emergence in the Smokies. I have not seen any at our house.

Lowland river fishing is good for smallmouth bass. Try nymphs, streamers and possibly poppers or foam floating flies. Fish the shaded areas in the rivers or go early and late.

You can search and find tailwater options today, whether you are wade fishing or boating. Check the generation schedules closely. There are times at some dams where very little water is being released. The trend looks to be, more generation in the afternoons. You may find the flows to be too low at times, on some rivers. You will need to work your fishing schedule around the generation schedules to be in the right place at the right time.

Lake fishing is good. The weekend is over so there should be less recreation boaters on the water until next weekend. You will do best with flies when the sun is off the water. Go early or late. Choose an overcast day. You may find cloud cover, especially later this week.

Streamers, swimming nymphs, poppers and foam floating flies will work. Have some black foam floating flies or poppers in your craft in case you encounter cicadas on the water. When that happens, all fish in the lake will go crazy in those areas.

Fishing is good so get out and go.

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

Byron Begley
May 24, 2021

Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com