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Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:50 am, the temperature is 67.8 degrees.

It will be mostly cloudy and warm today, with a 50% chance for showers and a high temperature in the middle 80’s. The chance for showers and thunderstorms is higher tomorrow, with a greater chance Tuesday.

Little River is flowing at 109 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 1.64 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 136 cfs. The water temperature is 66.5 degrees this morning.

For now, most streams in the mountains are flowing below normal. Tellico River is slowly rising due to rain that fell in the watershed. The streams are warm in the lowest elevations and we can expect that at least through tomorrow. Fish the higher elevations where the water is cooler.

Dry flies and nymphs will work. A dry fly with a nymph dropper is a good choice right now. Try a Yellow Sally Stonefly imitation for your dry and use a Green Weenies as your dropper. That should work for you.

Lowland rivers are flowing low. Fish the deep runs and pools. It should be cloudy today, which is good. I would use poppers or foam floating flies for smallmouth bass and other lowland river species.

Check the TVA website to see what your tailwater fly fishing options are today. There are many.

This should be a very good lake fishing day thanks to the expected overcast sky. It should not be windy. You might get wet. Fish the banks with poppers, foam floating flies, swimming nymphs or streamers.

My swimming nymph choice is a dragonfly imitation, retrieved fairly deep and slow. I tie them in several colors and use black bead chain eyes for weight and to mimic the eyes of the nymph.

My favorite streamer is a large weighted black Wooly Bugger. I tie mine on a 2/0 hook.

Stealth Bombers and Knuckleheads are my choice for a foam floating fly. Most poppers will work, though I think chartreuse and black are the best colors in lakes I usually fish.

A 16-year-old girl was attacked by a bear while backpacking with her family Friday. They were camping at Backcountry Campsite 29 near Cosby. Thankfully, she is in stable condition at the University of Tennessee hospital. She was transported out of the Park by the Tennessee Army National Guard. You can read the story by CLICKING HERE.

Bear attacks are extremely rare in the Smokies. I have seen only two bears around our house this year, which is also very rare. Last year, we saw them on a regular basis, at least weekly or more often.

It looks like we will get some rain but the terrible damaging tropical storm that blew through the southern states will move to our south with parts of South and North Carolina in its path.

I hope all of our friends and customers in the affected areas are OK. Our prayers are with you.
  
Happy Father’s Day dads! Have a great day and thank you for being here with us.

Byron Begley
June 20, 2021

Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com