We’re experiencing exceptionally mild weather here in East Tennessee as we kick off 2020, but that isn’t necessarily adding up to great fly fishing opportunities so far. As is so often the case here in the Smoky Mountain region, mild temperatures in the winter also come with abundant rainfall. At the moment stream flows in the Smokies have oscillated between a little high to way too high for fishing.
Taking advantage of a nice day and good flows on Little River
Still, when there’s a break in the weather it sure feels great to be out on the water. Even when the water has been a bit too high for fishing it’s been great weather for hiking. We’re sure to take advantage of the window of good weather even if conditions aren’t appropriate for fishing.
There are a few things to be aware of when visiting the Smokies this winter. The Bote Mountain tunnel is currently undergoing repairs and maintenance so Laurel Creek Road is closed until March 1. This is important since this is the only route into Cades Cove. The tunnel was built in the 1940’s and is well overdue for maintenance to ensure its safety. Abrams Creek is one of our favorite streams to fish in the winter, but even we have to admit this is the only reasonable time of year to close the road to the most popular destination in America’s most popular national park.
Tailwaters
Wet weather has had an adverse effect on tailwater fishing in our neck of the woods. This is often a time of minimum flows on rivers like the Clinch, Hiwassee, South Holston, and Watauga. However, that’s not the case this year. TVA has been forced to move more water through the system in their efforts to manage reservoir levels and mitigate flood threats across the Tennessee Valley. Unfortunately we don’t expect to see much opportunity for wading anglers on these rivers compared to a typical winter. There may be some windows for floating fly fishers, but high flows look to be a common condition in the weeks ahead.
Charity nymphing a nice run at Tremont
Fortunately stream flows rebound much more quickly in the Smokies. You can expect fishable conditions within a few days of a heavy rain. Steep terrain and small watersheds make for a rapid rise in flows, but they also fall out quickly.