If you do not see today’s Fishing Report, please refresh your browser to empty your cache.

Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 5:17 am, the temperature outside is 63.9 degrees.

Today will be sunny with a high temperature in the low 80’s. Tonight’s low will dip to the upper 50’s. There is no chance for rain today. We probably won’t see rain until next week.

Little River is flowing at 117 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 1.76 feet on the flow gauge. Median flow for this date is 92 cfs. The water temperature is 69.3 degrees this morning.

Little Pigeon River is flowing above normal at 473 cfs, 2.04 feet, compared to median flow of 176 cfs.

Oconaluftee River is also flowing above median flow at 318 cfs, 1.61 feet, compared to median flow of 213 cfs. The water temperature is 65.1 degrees.

Tellico River is flowing at 149 cfs, 1.14 feet, and that compares to median flow of 86 cfs for this date.

Cataloochee Creek is flowing normal at 48.5 cfs, 2.30 feet, compared to median flow of 46 cfs. The water temperature is 61.3 degrees.

I think it is fair to say, most streams in the Smokies are flowing at or higher than normal for this date.

Water temperatures are warm in the lowest elevations. Fish higher where the water is cooler. Look for temperatures in the 60’s.

Fishing will be good today. We would all prefer cloud cover and we will not have that. Fish the shaded areas of the streams. Concentrate on the choppy water and dress to blend with the forest so hopefully, the trout will not see you.

Dry flies and nymphs will work.

Lowland river fishing for smallmouth bass and other warmwater species will be good for this time of the year. Go early or late when the sun is off the water. Fish shaded water with poppers, foam floating flies, streamers or nymphs.

Lake fishing will be good early or late. Poppers or foam floating flies will work when the sun is off the water. If they don’t work, try streamers or Dragons. My favorite bass streamer is a black Wooly Bugger, tied weighted and on a jig hook. I tie mine on a 1/0 hook with the shank wrapped with lead free wire. With the hook point riding up, you will be less likely to catch limbs.

Check the TVA website from the links below to see if your favorite tailwater is fishable.

The list of fly tyers, who will be demonstrating at Fly Tyers Weekend has been updated on our website by Daniel. Fly Tyers Weekend is a free event that will be held in Townsend at Tremont Lodge & Resort, November 2nd and 3rd. I think we have about 50 people scheduled to tie throughout the weekend in shifts.

Tyers and attendees will travel here from many states. The event is held in a 7,000 square foot, indoor facility at the lodge.

As usual, all you have to do is show up. There is no charge to attend.

You can visit our pages devoted to the event by CLICKING HERE.

Fly Tyers Weekend has always been well attended. Some attendees don’t even tie flies. They come to learn about fly fishing from the demonstrators, who specialize in trout, warmwater and saltwater fly fishing.

If you book your room at the lodge, do it by phone. Tell them you are attending Fly Tyers Weekend and get a 25% discount.

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

Byron Begley
August 29, 2019

Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com