It’s been incredibly wet during the short bit of 2020 we’ve experienced. January saw nearly twice the monthly precipitation and by the 5th of February we already reached our February average. This week has seen some extreme weather around the area with impressive flooding and property damage around Townsend.
The scene at the Townsend Y where Middle at East Prongs of Little River Meet. Notice there is very little clearance under the bridge which is cavernous.
A number of homes in Townsend were flooded as the river was well above flood stage. This is near the picnic area by Apple Valley Store and Restaurant.
The good news is that our mountain streams bounce back very quickly and it rarely takes more than a week for conditions to get back in line. The bad news is that things are starting to look like another poor season of fishing on our area tailwaters during the spring. It’s still a bit early to be sure, but this is exactly why we stopped offering floats. The string of wet winters and springs have made big river conditions inconsistent enough that it’s impossible to predict whether or not a guided float will be worth the effort.
We’ll keep you posted, but we’re looking forward to the streams getting back in shape and spring hatches to come.
Collin Hays says
Ian, I have heard that floods like this can really decimate the fish populations in the streams. Is that fact or fiction?
Ian says
Collin,
As a fisherman who will be hitting the stream this year, the number of catchable trout has not been appreciably impacted. However, many young of the year trout, generally so small as to not be “catchable” are impacted. Trout in that category would be brook and brown trout based on the timing of their spawn relative to the flooding. Rainbows that hatched last year are likely in fine shape and start showing up on the end of your line this year as about 4″ fish.
I’m writing an article for the blog with more details about how floods impact the population dynamics of trout in the Smokies.
Thanks for reading!
Ian