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Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:52 am, the temperature is 54.0 degrees.

It will be cool today with a high temperature around 70 degrees, falling to the middle to upper 40’s tonight. No rain is predicted today. Tomorrow will be sunny and warmer with a high around 80 degrees.

Little River is flowing at 212 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 2.05 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 185 cfs. The water temperature is 58.3 degrees and falling.

Most streams in the mountains are flowing at or above normal today. Water temperatures are plunging. This should be a good fishing day. Nymphs will probably work best early. Try a Green Weenie, Pheasant Tail, Tellico Nymph or Prince Nymph. Trout will be taking dry flies too, especially later when the water temperatures bottom out and begin to warm. Yellow Sally Stonefly patterns are hot right now. You might also try a Light Cahill, Elk Hair Caddis or a Yellow Stimulator.

Lowland river fishing for smallmouth bass is good. Nymphs, streamers, poppers or foam floating flies will work. If you are lucky enough to be fishing in swarms of Brood X Cicadas, be prepared with a black popper or foam floating fly.

There will be long periods of no generation with intermittent pulsing at many dams in the region today. Some will be generating for longer periods, later today. You can plan a tailwater trout or smallmouth bass fishing day by visiting the TVA website from the links below.

Lake fishing is good but I bet the lakes will a be crowded with recreation boaters today and tomorrow. Go early or late to avoid the crowd and direct sunshine. Streamers will work. Use a large Wooly Bugger or threadfin shad imitation. Game fish are taking poppers and foam floating flies too. Watch for cicadas on the water and go prepared with floating flies that mimic the insect.

We are very busy at the shop taking care of fly fishing anglers. Many of the customers we are helping now have traveled here from long distances for the holiday weekend. One couple from New York were in the shop about every day this past week. I have known them for years.

I talked to a young man from the Florida Panhandle for quite a while yesterday. It is interesting that people from Florida travel here for vacations, and we travel there.

We talked a lot about shark fishing, which is something I am very interested in and he knows a lot about. Neither he or I use fly rods for shark fishing. I now use a 10’ heavy surf spinning rod and a large Penn reel loaded with 40 pound braided line and a coated steel leader.

The largest sharks Paula and I caught earlier this month were around 3 feet long. This guy goes after the big sharks, using a reel that is more like a winch. He takes the chunk of bait out past the second sand bar, and drops it into deep water in his kayak. Then, he paddles back to the beach and waits. There are many ways to fish and much to learn.

Traffic in town was fairly heavy yesterday. There is no doubt, Americans are traveling. That is very good to see.

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

Byron Begley
May 30, 2021   

Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com