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Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:58 am, the temperature outside is 72.1 degrees.

It is going to be hot today and tomorrow, with highs in the low 90’s and lows in the low 70’s. We have a chance for thunderstorms though not much of one, both days. We have a greater chance for rain later next week.

Little River is flowing at 65.9 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 1.38 feet on the flow gauge. Median flow for this date is 118 cfs. The water temperature at the low elevation gauge in Townsend is 74.1 degrees this morning. Yesterday, that number rose to 77 degrees.

With Little River being an exception, other streams in the Smokies that have USGS gauge sites are flowing at normal levels this morning. Normal is low in July. Stealth is very important to your success. Stay hidden from the trout and you will catch more. Fish the broken water where the trout are hiding from predators.

The water temperatures are high in the low elevations. Catching a releasing a trout in 77 degree water could be lethal for the fish due to low dissolved oxygen levels. Fish higher where the water is cooler. Look for temps in the mid-60’s.

Dry and dropper rigs are probably a good idea. I would use a foam beetle for my dry and a Green Weenie as the dropper. Other combinations may work as well or better. Double nymph rigs might be a good choice too.

Lowland rivers are flowing very low, which is normal. Go early or late. Try poppers, hair bugs or foam floating flies. Cast to the shaded areas in pools. Nymphs and streamers may work too.

I checked the generation schedules at a few dams and found fishing opportunities on several tailwaters in the area. For the most part, I saw they will be generating at the dams this afternoon and pulsing with breaks this morning. Click on the links below to visit the TVA website to plan your day on a tailwater. I did not check them all.

If I were going to fish one of the lakes today, I would be on my way now. Launch at daybreak and fish the banks until the sun gets high and no shade can be found. Then, I would pull out the boat and head home. Top water flies may work. If not, go deeper with streamers and swimming nymphs.

There is certainly less traffic in Townsend. Tourist season is winding down. We are still fairly busy at the shop. Customers are preparing for late Summer and Fall fishing trips. Jack is hoping to travel to Yellowstone this Fall and he is tying the flies to use on the trip. Barbless hooks are now required in Yellowstone National Park. You can pinch down the barbs if you remember to. He is tying his flies on barbless hooks.

We are selling more barbless fly tying hooks than ever before. Two brands we sell, Hanak and Firehole, only make barbless hooks. That’s all they sell to dealers. One reason is, their hooks were designed for competition fishing, where barbless hooks are required. And, they are designed to be barbless and work well at hooking fish and keeping them hooked without the benefit of a barb. Look at the shapes of these hooks and you will see what I mean.

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

Byron Begley
July 18, 2020

NOTICE: FLY TYERS WEEKEND HAS BEEN CANCELLED THIS YEAR. WE ARE PLANNING FOR THE EVENT TO BE HELD IN 2021.

Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com