Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:44 am, the temperature is 40 degrees.
Today will be sunny with a high temperature in the upper 60’s and a low tonight in the low to middle 40’s. It will be sunny tomorrow and warmer, with a high in the middle 70’s and a low in the low 50’s. We have a low chance for showers Wednesday with rain likely Wednesday night.
It has been dry during the past few weeks. Using the numbers at the Knoxville Airport as a reference, rainfall since September 1st is listed at 2.52 inches. Normal for the period is 4.37 inches, creating a 1.85 inch deficit.
The area in our county bordering Great Smoky Mountains National Park is listed as “abnormally dry” on the US Drought Monitor. The monitor was updated last Thursday. It is updated every Thursday.
Little River is flowing at 42.2 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 1.25 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 80 cfs. The lowest flow on this date was 19.1 cfs in 2008. The water temperature at the USGS gauge site near Townsend is 52.5 degrees.
All streams in the Smokies are flowing lower than normal. Normal in early October is low.
If you go fishing in the mountains today, fish in the low to middle elevation larger streams where there the flows are higher. Most trout will be hiding in the broken choppy water. You may see brown trout in the pools preparing to spawn.
Using weighted nymph rigs without strike indicators is a good tactical choice.
Streams flowing out of the mountains are low. Fishing in these rivers where trout are stocked is fair to good. Nymphs, streamers, egg patterns, midge pupa and squirmy worms are good fly choices.
Further downriver in the lowlands, fishing for smallmouth bass is fair. Fish in the deeper pools and runs with streamers or crayfish patterns.
Fishing will be best early or late on the lakes. Cast weighted streamers or swimming nymphs to the banks or cover and let them sink deep. Retrieve slowly to keep your flies deep. You might try top water flies on the shaded or dimly lit banks. They could work.
TVA and the Corps will be generating for long periods today at many dams. There are a few exceptions. Check out Center Hill and Cherokee Dams on the TVA website. You may be able to work with their generation schedules today. There may be others.
The Mississippi River is flowing so low that barge traffic was temporarily halted last week. Barges were stuck in the mud and sand. The Corps of Engineers reacted by dredging, which freed the barges and for now, they are moving again.
Have a great day and thank you for being here with us.
Byron Begley
October 10, 2022
Note: We have a very large and well stocked fly tying department located on the second floor of our shop. Our fly tying materials and tools can also be found and bought on our online store with Free Shipping.
Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com
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