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Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:47 am, the temperature is 53.2 degrees.
Today is going to be beautiful again, sunny and warm with a high in the upper 70’s, falling to the high 50’s tonight. Tomorrow will be similar with a slight chance for showers. Rain will move into the area tomorrow night, along with warmer temperatures overnight in the low 60’s. It will rain Wednesday, with thunderstorms likely and the potential for heavy rain. Rain will continue through Thursday morning before moving out. It will be warm and overcast later in the day.
Little River is flowing at 159 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 1.89 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 146 cfs. The water temperature is 54.1 degrees this morning.
All streams in the mountains are flowing slightly higher than normal and at good fishable levels. Water temperatures continue to rise further into the trout’s preferred range. The fish are actively feeding. We could not ask for better fishing conditions in November. We need rain to maintain the good water levels we have. That will come soon. Heavy rain could temporarily cause the fishing conditions to decline Wednesday and possibly beyond.
Go today and tomorrow to take advantage of these excellent fishing conditions in the Smokies. Nymphs will certainly work for you. Dry flies may produce as well.
Streams flow out of the mountains and become what I call lowland rivers. They are free flowing except for some low head dams. Smallmouth bass and other panfish inhabit these rivers. Trout are stocked in some.
Smallmouth bass become lethargic when water temperatures fall to normal in November. These fish are more active when the water temperatures are warmer than 50 degrees. That is the case now. Fishing in the lowland rivers will be good this week, unless heavy rain raises the water levels too high and the water becomes stained Wednesday. Go now if you can. Streamers and nymphs are good choices. As the water warms further, you may find lowland species taking top water flies, so give that a try too.
There are not many tailwater wade fishing opportunities in east and middle Tennessee today. I did see a couple of options, especially if you go early. Boating will give you more options. Check the TVA website from the links below to see what they are.
Fly fishing on the lakes is fair. It will be sunny today and tomorrow so go early or late. Wind should not be an issue both days. I would start with top water flies to see what happens. They would not work in usual November conditions but they might right now. Fish the shaded banks. If top water flies are not producing strikes, switch to heavily weighted streamers or swimming nymphs.
I spent the weekend setting up our new photography studio, two new offices and placing orders to replenish the fly tying department. Today, I will begin re-arranging the department, filling the added space gained by our remodel. I am really looking forward to this. I think it will take a few days.
The new fly tying department will be larger of course, but more importantly, you will have more space to move around and shop. We will be eliminating most of the floor displays. More materials and tools will now be found on the walls. We gained a huge amount of wall space due to the new plan and that was the goal.
Visiting our fly tying department will be a totally new experience by next weekend.
Have a great day and thank you for being here with us.
Byron Begley
November 9, 2020
Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com |
