Mild days with water temperatures in the 40’s are the best for fishing during the winter months
It’s officially the slow season here in the Smokies. It’s nearly 8:00 AM when the sun peaks up over the mountains and it’s dark shortly after 5:00. Overnight temperatures here in Townsend are regularly in the 20’s and 30’s but much colder up on the crest of the Smokies.
Water temperatures have been hovering somewhere around the 40 degree mark down low on the near the park boundary but even cooler up where we fish the most. This means fishing has been pretty slow and the best time is when the sun is on the water; usually between 1:00 – 3:00 PM.
Water temperatures will become mildest after rain, so try to plan your outings the day after a rain. Hopefully those aren’t heavy rains, but that always brings water temperatures up several degrees.
Have a great holiday season and we’ll see you on the water in 2024!
A solid rainbow trout caught on a recent afternoon guide trip in the national park.
