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Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 5:16 am, the temperature outside is 67.5 degrees.

It may be raining this morning, with a higher chance after noon. It will be mostly cloudy with a high temperature in the low 70’s. Tonight will be much cooler, in the mid-50’s with showers likely. Rain is likely tomorrow, with a high in the upper 60’s. This weekend will be much cooler, with lows at night dipping into the 40’s.

 It will be cooler in the high elevations. The high temperature today should reach the high 50’s and dip to the low 50’s at Mount LeConte. Expect a high today of 66 degrees and a low tonight of 55 degrees at Newfound Gap.

Little River is flowing at 28.6 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 1.12 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 74 cfs. The water temperature is 71.1 degrees this morning.

All streams with reporting USGS gauges are flowing low this morning.

We will likely see higher water later today or tomorrow. Water temperatures will fall tonight. Fishing in the Smokies will improve this week, with cooler water temperatures, and hopefully higher water. It will be mostly cloudy, which is beneficial for the fly fishing angler.

Lowland river fishing will improve, for smallmouth bass, rock bass and sunfishes. There is a chance for stained water over the next couple of days. At some point, after the water cools, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) will begin stocking trout in the lower elevations. TWRA has been holding off on the stocking, waiting for cooler water, which we will soon have. They prefer to stock as soon as they can. They have been holding the trout in hatcheries, waiting for the day.

Fall tourism is picking up in the Smokies. This is leaf season and Fall break. Many visitors want to fish while they are here. And many want to fish for stocked trout in the lowland rivers, outside the Park.

Lake fishing is fair and this may be a good week to go. We will have cloud cover. For the most part, we are fishing shallow with our fly fishing gear. Cloudy days extend the fishing time on the lakes, in shallow water. Baitfish are often near the surface on cloudy days. Watch for gamefish feeding on the shad. Otherwise, cast poppers, foam floating flies streamers and nymphs toward the banks.

Most of the lakes I checked this morning, are lower than they were last year at this time. Fort Loudoun and Tellico Lakes are at normal levels today.

There are fly fishing opportunities available for you today on some tailwaters. Check the TVA website from the links below to plan your day.

Customers are talking about and getting excited about our upcoming Fly Tyers Weekend. It will be here before we know it, Saturday and Sunday November 2nd and 3rd. This will be the largest Fly Tyers Weekend we have held, based on the number of demonstrators.

Fly Tyers Weekend will be held at the conference center at Tremont Lodge, right in the middle of Townsend. This event is Free. All you have to do is show up.

Fly tying demonstrators will be tying in shifts, about twenty tyers at once. You can move around on both floors of the conference center, from station to station, to watch these talented people tie flies. There will be chairs at each station, for your comfort. Casting for Recovery will be selling food, so you don’t have to leave for lunch.  

You do not have to be a fly tyer to learn from and enjoy this free weekend event. The demonstrators will be talking to you about fishing, as well as tying. They come from many states, mostly in the southeast region, and they specialize in many different types of fly fishing, trout, warmwater and saltwater.

You will find the majority of the demonstrators tie and fish for trout.

So, put these dates on your calendar and plan to attend. Early November can be a wonderful time to visit Townsend, Tennessee. Fly fishing in the Smokies can be excellent in early November, depending on the weather of course.

You can learn more about Fly Tyers Weekend by CLICKING HERE.

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

Byron Begley
October 7, 2019

Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com