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Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:42 am, the temperature is 66.4 degrees.

There is a 50% to 60% chance for showers and thunderstorms today and every day through the weekend. High temperatures will be in the middle 80’s each day, falling to the middle 60’s every night.

Little River is flowing at 132 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 1.73 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 129 cfs. The water temperature is 66.0 degrees this morning.

It does not appear any rain fell yesterday in the mountains. All streams that have USGS gauge sites are flowing near normal or below normal. Little River and Tellico River are flowing slightly higher than normal.

Water temperatures are warm in the low elevations. Fish higher where the water is cooler. Catching a releasing a trout when the water is warm, in the upper 60’s, can be lethal. Look for temperatures in the low 60’s or cooler. A customer told one of the guys at the shop yesterday, they found water temps in the low 60’s on Lynn Camp Prong, which is a mid-elevation stream. Fish above Elkmont, Thunderhead Prong, Lynn Camp Prong, Abrams Creek near the Falls Trailhead, or drive to a high elevation stream. This is a good time to be hiking into the backcountry.

Dry flies and nymphs will work. Trout need food. Their metabolism is running high. Most flies that resemble natural food, and drifting along at the speed of the current it is in, will work. A foam beetle pattern with a Green Weenie dropper is a good combination. A Yellow Stimulator is a good dry fly searching pattern to use. They float high and are easy to see. Don’t spook the trout and you will catch more. Dress to blend with the forest. The streams are flowing fairly low, which is normal in July. Fish the broken water where the trout are hiding.

Lowland rivers flowing out of the mountains are flowing at about normal, which is low. Fish the deeper pools and runs for smallmouth bass, rock bass and panfish. Hit the shaded areas with poppers or foam floating flies. Nymphs and streamers might work too. If you intend to fish on a lowland river that does not have much tree canopy, fishing will be best early or late unless it is overcast, which it may be at times this week.

There are tailwater wade fishing opportunities in the area, especially if you go early and fish further downstream from the dams. In most cases, there will be generation at the dams later this morning or early afternoon. If you are boating, you have more options. Check to the TVA website to see what your options are.

I would go lake fishing early and hope for overcast skies. Hit the banks with poppers, foam floating flies, streamers or swimming nymphs. Winds should be calm today, except in possible scattered thunderstorms.

A woman was pulled from her tent in Montana and killed by a grizzly bear night before last. She was camping in a small town with some friends who were on a bicycling trip. You can read more about this on the ABC website by CLICKING HERE. I hate to read stories like this one but I did this morning.

Barry Spruce from Townsend heard about a black bear in North Carolina that has 5 cubs, which is very rare. Barry is a professional photographer and gallery owner in town. He traveled to the area where the bears were spotted, found them and took photos. You can see some photos and a video of this rare bear family on the WBIR website by CLICKING HERE.

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

Byron Begley
July 8, 2021

Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com