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Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 7:04 am, the temperature outside is 68 degrees.

Rainfall reports yesterday include the Knoxville Airport with .20 inches and Townsend at .42 inches.

Today will be warm with a high temperature in the mid-80’s. We do have a chance for showers and scattered thunderstorms are also possible. Showers and thunderstorms are likely tomorrow and tomorrow night.

Little River is flowing at 232 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 2.05 feet on the flow gauge. Median flow for this date is 150 cfs. The water temperature is 66.7 degrees this morning.

Little Pigeon River is flowing at 851 cfs, 2.63 feet, compared to median flow of 270 cfs.

Oconaluftee River is flowing strong this morning at 1,030 cfs or 2.59 feet. That compares to median flow for the date of 324 cfs.

Tellico River at the Tellico Plains gauge is flowing at 224 cfs, 1.42 feet, compared to median flow of 130 cfs.

Cataloochee Creek shot up yesterday late but it has receded to 247 cfs, 3.09 feet, compared to median flow of 65 cfs.

Most streams in the Smokies are flowing higher than normal but certainly fishable. This will be a good fishing day. There is always the chance a thunderstorm will drop water in the watershed where you are fishing. Watch for sudden turbidity and rising water while you fish. If you see that happening, go to the bank and possibly get out for a few minutes to see what happens.

Dry flies and nymphs will work. My choice would be a black foam beetle with a Green Weenie dropper. Other dry fly choices include, Yellow Stimulator, Yellow Neversink Caddis, Rob’s Hellbender or Smoky Mountain Candy. Elk Hair Caddis and other reasonable dry flies will work. Nymph choices include Prince, Tellico, Hare’s Ear or Pheasant Tail patterns.

Lowland river fishing will be good today thanks to higher than normal flows. Your favorite lowland river may be flowing a little too high, reducing your wading options. Try poppers, streamers or nymphs for smallmouth bass and rock bass. Nymphs and other sub-surface patterns will work for stocked trout.

This may be an excellent day to fly fish on the lakes. It is supposed to be overcast. If that is the case, you could fly fish all day. Try poppers or Knuckleheads for top water fishing. Or, switch to a large Wooly Bugger or Puglisi Threadfin Shad.

I tie my bass Wooly Buggers on #2 jig hooks. I make about 20 turns of .20 lead free wire around the hook shank for plenty of weight. Everything else is normal, black chenille, black marabou and hackle. The hook rides up and I think I get snagged less. Also, I seem to hook more fish with these hooks.

Check the TVA website for generation or sluicing schedules on your favorite trout tailwater. I can tell you they are still generating around the clock at Cherokee Dam and sluicing about 3,300 cfs at Norris Dam.

To our friends in Middle Tennessee, the generation schedule looks good at Center Hill Dam. Maybe there is some sluicing going on I am not aware of. You may know better than I do.

And, for our Kentucky friends, they are generating around the clock at Wolf Creek Dam. Right now the flow is 13,900 cfs.

I read this morning, the two bull elk that traveled to Sugarlands Park Headquarters from the North Carolina side of the Park, are now trekking toward Townsend through Wears Valley. As far as anyone knows, this is the first time in 200 years, elk have been near Townsend, except for some tame elk in Walland. I think those elk finally died. From what I remember, they were cows with no bulls to breed with. Maybe it was the other way around.

If you are driving on Wears Valley Road or other connecting roads, be watchful.

This may turn out to be a very nice fishing day.

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

Byron Begley
June 23, 2019

Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com