Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:47 am, the temperature is 65.5 degrees.
Today will be partly cloudy with a high temperature in the upper 80’s. There is a fair chance for showers this afternoon and tonight. Showers and thunderstorms are likely tomorrow afternoon, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Rain chances range between 50% to 60%. It will be warm each day through the holiday weekend, with high temperatures in the upper 80’s.
Little River is flowing at 67.6 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 1.44 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 111 cfs. The water temperature is 70.9 degrees at the low elevation USGS site near Townsend.
Most streams in the mountains are flowing lower than normal. Normal is low in late June. The streams are warm in the low elevations. Trout are spooky and hiding in broken water or near cover.
Fish for trout in the higher elevations where the water is cooler. Look for water temperatures in the 60’s during midday when the water is warmest. This is a good time to hike into the backcountry where shaded streams are cooler in the high elevations.
Go early and you will do best. Trout will take dry flies and nymphs. My dry fly would be a yellow sally stonefly imitation or a foam beetle. Drop a Green Weenie or small bead head nymph off your dry fly. Dress to blend in so the trout are less likely to see you. Fish the broken water where the trout are hiding.
Lowland rivers are flowing low. Fishing for smallmouth bass and panfish is fair. Fish in the deeper pools and runs. Go early and late if the river you are fishing has little to no shade provided by tree canopy. Or, fish the shaded areas during the midday. Poppers, foam floating flies, streamers, nymphs and crayfish patterns will work for you.
Fishing on the lakes is good when the sun is off the water. There will be cloud cover at times today which is beneficial. Winds will be light today. Cast to the banks or cover with poppers, foam floating flies, swimming nymphs or streamers. During the dim hours or when there is cloud cover, watch for surface feeding anywhere in the lake. Game fish may be feeding on threadfin shad.
TVA and the Corps of Engineers will be generating at most dams this afternoon. Plan to go early to fish on the tailwaters and work with the generation schedules found on the TVA website. You have many choices today, whether you are boating or wading.
I look at every online order we get every day. One trend I am seeing now is, we are shipping a lot of poppers and components to make your own poppers. Many of our customers live to our south, where stream fishing for warmwater species is very popular. The same is true here in Tennessee and to our north, maybe to a lesser degree, or maybe not. Fly fishing for warmwater or cool water species is a lot of fun. You may not have trout where you live, but I bet you have bass and bluegill.
I love tying warmwater flies and using them in the lowland rivers, lower tailwaters and lakes.
Have a great day and thank you for being here with us.
Byron Begley
June 30, 2022
NOTICE: FLY TYERS WEEKEND SCHEDULED ON NOVEMBER 5TH AND 6TH HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO UNFORSEEN CIRCUMSTANCES.
Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com
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