Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 4:35 am, the temperature is 56 degrees.
Heavy rain showers and thunderstorms moved into the area overnight. It is still raining now and I just heard thunder again. So far, rainfall totals during the night have amounted to:
1.55 inches Townsend
1.01 inches Cades Cove
1.40 inches Cherokee
.77 inches Gatlinburg
It is windy this morning.
The rain should last until about 10 am this morning with clearing and sunshine predicted later. The high temperature today will be what it is now. Temperatures will fall through the day, with a low tonight in the middle 20’s. Tomorrow will be sunny with a high around 50 and a low around 30 degrees tomorrow night.
Little River is flowing at 486 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 2.60 feet on the gauge. Median flow for this date is 238 cfs. The water temperature is 49.8 degrees this morning.
All streams in the mountains that have USGS gauge sites have risen to above median flow and they continue to rise. The streams are most likely stained. Oconaluftee River is stained for sure. There is a turbidity monitor at the Birdtown USGS gauge site that is currently indicating turbid water.
I have no idea how high the streams will rise until the rain ends and the waters begin to recede. My best guess is, most streams in the Smokies will be too high to wade and fish early today. They may recede quickly and clear later. Check the USGS gauges before you go.
If you go fishing in the mountains today, wait until later this afternoon. Stand in safe water and cast heavily weighted nymph rigs or streamers.
Fishing for stocked trout may be slow today due to high and temporarily stained water conditions. Conditions could change later. If you go, stand in safe water casting weighted nymph rigs or streamers.
Many lowland rivers will be flowing high today and they will probably be stained. Fishing in these rivers for smallmouth bass will be slow.
TVA and the Corps will be generating today for long periods at most dams. There are exceptions, including Norris and Center Hill dams. Check the TVA website from the links below to see if you can work in some fishing time on those tailwaters and maybe others.
This rain is a blessing. We may get more Saturday.
Have a great day and thank you for being here with us.
Byron Begley
November 30, 2022
NOTE: THE TOWNSEND CHRISTMAS PARADE WILL BE HELD SUNDAY DECEMBER 4TH. HIGHWAY 321 THROUGH TOWN WILL BE CLOSED BEGINNING AT ABOUT 2:00 PM FOR ABOUT 3 HOURS. YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO TRAVEL THROUGH TOWNSEND DURING THAT TIME.
FREE FLY TYING DEMONSTRATIONS HELD ON SATURDAYS
For the first time since 2019, we will be holding our Free Fly Tying Demonstrations on Saturdays. The demonstrations will begin at 10 am and last until 2 pm. You do not need a reservation. Just show up and enjoy. These demonstrations will kick off November 5th, and last through mid-December. Then, they will resume in January.
Saturday December 3rd - Jimmy Jones will be demonstrating today. Jimmy lives in Maryville. He is an avid Smokies angler and golfer. He ties some very interesting and unique flies that work very well in the Smokies.
I have learned new techniques, watching Jimmy tie.
Saturday December 10th - Jonathan Yeager - Jonathan is also known as the "Fly Doctor". He is a professor at UT Chatanooga. He ties flies commercially and sells them to his customers. He is an avid fly fisherman who spends his fishing time on wild trout streams in the Appalachians and stocked tailwaters.
Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com
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