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Welcome to the Fishing Report from Townsend, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. At 5:24 am, the temperature outside is 39.4 degrees.
It will be cold today, throughout the Smoky Mountains foothills and high elevations. There is a slight chance for snow showers today and a greater chance tonight. Snow accumulation is expected to be light but travel in the higher elevations could be problematic.
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PREDICTED HIGHS AND LOWS TODAY
LOCATION |
HIGH |
LOW |
TOWNSEND |
40 |
30 |
GATLINBURG |
39 |
28 |
ELKMONT |
37 |
25 |
CADES COVE |
37 |
26 |
NEWFOUND GAP |
35 |
21 |
MOUNT LECONTE |
29 |
11 |
CHEROKEE |
44 |
25 |
SMOKEMONT |
39 |
23 |
BRYSON CITY |
44 |
27 |
MAGGIE VALLEY |
40 |
25 |
COSBY |
40 |
29 |
Little River is flowing at 525 cubic feet per second (cfs) or 2.72 feet on the flow gauge. Median flow for this date is 211 cfs. The water temperature is 48.2 degrees this morning, and falling.
Little Pigeon River at the Sevierville gauge is flowing at 808 cfs, 2.60 feet, compared to median flow of 281 cfs.
Oconaluftee River is flowing at 2.63 feet or 1,080 cfs at the Birdtown gauge. Median flow is 396 cfs. The water temperature is 45.1 degrees this morning, and falling.
Cataloochee Creek is flowing at 202 cfs, or 2.95 feet on the gauge, compared to median flow of 75 cfs. The water temperature is 43.5 degrees and continuing to fall.
The streams above are the ones with USGS flow gauges and represent four different drainages. As you can see, they are all flowing higher than normal.
I think water temperatures will continue to fall today. They will fall all week with maybe some brief rises later. Overall, in the Park, we should expect cold water conditions for several days. The colder the water becomes, the slower the fishing will be.
One exception is the post spawn brown trout. They are hungry and will still feed, in the cold water.
Be careful wading. The rivers are still swift. Keep an extra change of dry and warm clothes in your fishing vehicle, in case you get wet. I would fish close to my truck. As you can see from the numbers above, it is going to be cold. Hypothermia is an important safety hazard for you to prepare for.
If you go, heavily weighted nymphs will probably work best. I would us my favorite old patterns, Tellico, Prince, Hare’s Ear or Pheasant Tail. A streamer, like a Muddler Minnow may produce for you.
You may see blue wing olives or other bugs on the water. Trout may be feeding on the surface but I don’t think that is likely, with the water temperatures falling into the lower 40’s today and further over the next few days. But, you never know for sure.
I would always have some blue wing olive dries in my Winter fly box.
Have a great day and thank you for being here with us.
Byron Begley
November 4, 2018
Respond to: byron@littleriveroutfitters.com
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