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Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:40 am, the temperature is 67.3 degrees.

It will be mostly sunny and hot today with a high temperature in the upper 80’s. We have a good chance for scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. In fact, the chance for rain is fairly high every day this week, with possibly heavy rain likely Thursday night and Friday. It will be much cooler Friday and Saturday, with highs in the upper 70’s.

Little River is flowing at 119 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 1.68 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 105 cfs. The water temperature is 68.0 degrees this morning.

Most streams in the mountains are flowing near normal which is low in late June. Water temperatures are warm in the low elevations. At the low elevations gauge site on Little River, the water temperature exceeded 70 degrees yesterday. Fish in the higher elevations where the water is cooler. Look for daytime water temperatures in the middle 60’s or cooler.

Stealth is essential to your success, especially during the low water months of Summer. Dress to blend with the forest and stay low. Fish the broken water in riffles, runs and plunge pools.

A dry fly with a dropper is a good option under these conditions. Try a Yellow Sally Stonefly, beetle or a small Yellow Stimulator for your dry fly. Drop a Green Weenie or small bead head nymph off your dry.

Most lowland rivers are flowing low but near normal. I would go early this morning or late today when the sun is off the water. Or, fish the shaded areas during the day. Smallmouth bass, rock bass and panfish will probably take a well presented popper or foam floating fly. If that is not working, switch to a streamer or nymph.

I looked at several generation schedules and found the dam release patterns are similar to what we have been seeing lately on our local tailwaters. At most dams in our area, there will be pulsing early then longer periods of generation later in the day. You can work with these schedules if you plan, whether you are wade fishing or boating. Visit the TVA website from the links below to see what your options are.

Lake fishing with flies will be best early or late when the sun is off the water. I would go early and start with poppers or foam floating flies. Cast to the shaded banks. Switch to streamers or swimming nymphs if the game fish are not taking your top water flies. Watch for thunderstorms this afternoon. Some of these storm may be strong, with gusty winds. That is why I would go early.

The prolonged drought in the west, combined with record heat, is taking its toll on trout rivers. I read a disturbing article this morning about the Delores River near Durango, Colorado. The Delores is a small tailwater with about 12 miles of trout water which is managed as a catch and release fishery. Fisheries managers are expecting a total fish kill in the lower Delores. Typical flows are 70 cfs. Now, the river is flowing between 5 and 9 cfs. Water temperatures have exceeded 80 degrees. Read the article I read on the Field and Stream website by CLICKING HERE.

It rained at our house again late yesterday. We got .30 inches. There will be more to come this week, thankfully.

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

Byron Begley
June 29, 2021  

Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com