Fishing Season: Year Round

Little River - TN

Fishing Outlook & Conditions

Water Temp:

60

Smoky Mountain Gillies's Tip of the Week

Dry Fly Time!

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Map of Little River

Water Flow Data

Tidal Conditions

5-Day Outlook as of 7/27/21

Today A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 4pm. Cloudy, with a high near 83. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Tonight A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7pm, then a slight chance of showers between 7pm and 10pm. Patchy fog after 2am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Wednesday A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Patchy fog before 7am. Otherwise, mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph. Wednesday Night A 10 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8pm. Mostly clear, with a low around 67. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Thursday A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Thursday Night A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Friday A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2pm. Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Friday Night A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. Saturday A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 91. Saturday Night A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 70. Sunday A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny and hot, with a high near 92. Sunday Night A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 70. Monday A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 92.

Techniques & Tips as of 7/27/21

Dry Dropper!

Current Conditions as of 7/27/21

Today A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 4pm. Cloudy, with a high near 83. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Tonight A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7pm, then a slight chance of showers between 7pm and 10pm. Patchy fog after 2am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Wednesday A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Patchy fog before 7am. Otherwise, mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph. Wednesday Night A 10 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8pm. Mostly clear, with a low around 67. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Thursday A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Thursday Night A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Friday A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2pm. Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Friday Night A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. Saturday A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 91. Saturday Night A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 70. Sunday A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny and hot, with a high near 92. Sunday Night A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 70. Monday A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 92.

Local Species Available Year Round

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    Trout

Smoky Mountain Gillies's Recommended Fly Patterns

"Must-have" fly fishing patterns in descending order of importance:

Name: Colors: Size(s):
Sulphur Parachute N/A 12-14
Tunghead Stonefly Black 14-16
Elk Wing Caddis Black 16-18
Light Cahill N/A 12-16
Stoneflies N/A 16-18
Ant N/A 14-18
Quasimodo Pheasant Tail N/A 18-14
Adams N/A 14-16
stimulators yellow 12-16

Sulphur Parachute

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Item #0923

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Smoky Mountain Gillies's Recommended Gear

Description: About Little River

The Little River system is among the largest and most varied watersheds in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Within its bounds one can find everything from roadside fishing for some of the Park’s largest brown trout, to tiny backcountry streams choked with rhododendrons and native brookies. Wild rainbow trout are also abundant throughout. The Little River system can be broken down into its component branches or “Prongs”. Little River Rd. (Hwy 73) follows the East Prong from where it flows out of the Elkmont Campground to where it meets the Middle Prong (Tremont) and West Prong at the “Y” just inside the Townsend entrance to the Park. The roadside section of the East Prong offers smallmouth bass in its lower reaches. The best trout fishing begins near the series of giant plunge pools known as “The Sinks”, with the largest rainbows and browns frequently found between the Metcalf Bottoms Picnic area and Elkmont Campground. Above the campground the stream narrows and is more rugged in character. The Middle Prong of the Little (known as Tremont) is similar in nature to the East Prong above Elkmont Campground. Both follow old logging railroad beds up their respective mountain valleys, both are medium-sized streams by Smokies standards, and brook trout are present for those anglers who want to invest the time hiking into the backcountry to reach them. The West Prong of the Little is low-gradient, small stream offering tighter casting conditions for feisty, wild rainbows. The West Prong (and its tributary Laurel Creek) flows along the road leading to Cades Cove.

Nearest Airport:

Knoxville, TN (TYS)

Hatches:

Stoneflies Caddis Yellow Sallys Ants Beetles

Best Time to Fish:

noon to afternoon

Best Stretch:

Metcalf Bottoms to Elkmont Campground

Best Access:

Little River Road