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Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:51 am, the temperature is 68.4 degrees.
Cooler air has moved into the Smokies. It will be nice today, with a high temperature hovering around 80 degrees, falling to the low 60’s tonight. We have a low chance for showers today.
Tomorrow will be almost identical to today. As we move through the week, we will see high temperatures in the 70’s beginning Wednesday, lasting through the weekend and beyond. We are going to enjoy highs in the low to mid-70’s with lows in the upper 40’s Friday and Saturday. Rain is likely Thursday and Friday. It is going to feel like Fall!
Little River is flowing at 127 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 1.70 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 74 cfs. The water temperature is 68.7 degrees this morning.
Little Pigeon River is flowing at 859 cfs, 2.64 feet, compared to median flow of 141 cfs.
Oconaluftee River is flowing at 322 cfs, 1.50 feet, which compares to median flow of 196 cfs.
Tellico River is flowing at 128 cfs, 1.06 feet, compared to median flow of 73 cfs.
Cataloochee Creek is flowing at 61.3 cfs, 2.38 feet, compared to median flow of 45 cfs.
The creeks and rivers in the mountains are flowing at good fishing levels, especially for September. Fishing conditions are good. Dry flies or nymphs will catch trout.
Lowland river fishing is good. The rivers are flowing higher than normal. Little Pigeon River is flowing quite a bit higher than normal. Poppers, foam floating flies and hair bugs will catch smallmouth bass, rock bass and panfish. It will be partly cloudy today, which will improve fishing in these rivers.
TVA and the Corps of Engineers will be generating at some dams much of the day. There are some options available for tailwater fishing. Check the predicted flows on the TVA website to plan your day.
This may be the perfect lake fishing day. The wind will be calm. It is supposed to be overcast at times. Launch your boat, canoe or kayak and fish the banks with hair bugs, foam floating flies or poppers. If they are not working, switch to streamers or swimming damselfly nymphs.
Watch for surface activity as shad schools may be near the surface, attracting gamefish. That could occur in the main channels or at the mouths of creeks. If you see that happening, try to sneak up on the school and cast small shad patterns. A small Clouser Minnow or Puglisi Minnow pattern are both good choices when gamefish are feeding on schools of shad.
Threadfin shad are filter feeders. They feed on plankton. Plankton can be near the surface when the sun is off the water, early, late or on cloudy days. The feeding frenzies are easier to see on calm days.
We should all be thrilled with the future weather forecasts. We will see water temperatures fall in the Smokies. That gives us the opportunity for good fishing in the larger rivers in the lower elevations. As the days shorten, brown and brook trout will begin their pre-spawn behavior. Brook trout are displaying their spawning colors now. I am seeing photos of some beautiful brookies that have been caught recently.
Have a great day and thank you for being here with us.
Byron Begley
September 14, 2020
Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com |
