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Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:41 am, the temperature is 67.8 degrees.

It will be mostly sunny today with a high temperature in the low 80’s and a chance for thunderstorms, especially this afternoon. A strong to severe thunderstorm is possible this afternoon. Thunderstorms are likely tomorrow and Tuesday. High temperatures will be in the low to middle 80’s both days.

Little River is flowing at 109 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 1.64 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 131 cfs. The water temperature is 68.7 degrees this morning at the Townsend gauge site.

Some streams in the mountains are flowing below normal while others rose overnight. Little Pigeon River is flowing fairly low. Oconaluftee River is receding but flowing higher than median flow. Tellico River is rising and has been flowing above normal for several days. Cataloochee Creek is rising this morning.

Due to the scattered nature of the thunderstorms we have been getting, different watersheds are flowing at different levels when compared to median flow.

Water temperature are warm in the low elevations. Fish higher where the water is cooler. Look for water temperatures no warmer than 65 degrees and cooler is better. Watch for quickly rising water, which is usually preceded by staining. If you see that happening, get out of the stream.

Fishing for trout in the Smokies is good if you don’t spook the trout and you present your flies well. Get a good drift. Fish the broken water where the trout are hiding. I would probably use a small Yellow Stimulator or a beetle pattern of some sort for my dry fly. An Elk Hair Caddis is always a good searching dry fly pattern. Try yellow or olive. Drop a small bead head nymph or Green Weenie off your dry.

Lowland river fishing will be best where the water is flowing higher than normal. I would go early or late and fish the deeper pools and runs with poppers or foam floating flies. If the sun is high, find shaded areas to fish.

TVA and the Corps are offering us good wade fishing flows early, then generating later in the day at most dams I checked. If you are wading or boating, you have tailwater fishing options today.

I would go lake fishing early, at daybreak, and fish the banks with poppers, foam floating flies, streamers or swimming nymphs. As the sun rises, look for shaded banks to fish. It may be a little breezy at times today. It could be very breezy in thunderstorms later.

If you are fishing on a farm pond today, fishing will be best when the sun is low. Poppers, foam floating flies and swimming nymphs will work. If you go late, watch for approaching thunderstorms. You don’t want to be out in an open field holding a fly rod, in the midst of a thunderstorm. If that happens, break down your rod and run (or walk briskly) to the truck!

We have many options and very few excuses for not going fly fishing today, somewhere. My excuse is, I will be working.

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

Byron Begley
July 11, 2021

Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com