I have been concerned about the water temperature in the Great Smoky National Park due to the exceptionally hot summer that we have experienced. I wanted to know if it would be harmful to fish for the pre spawn brown trout. I suspect that the browns will have a good appetite getting in good shape for the rigors of spawning, and as you know when they actually spawn, we prefer not to add the stress involved in catching them.
So I called my good friend James Marsh who lives in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. James has a passion for trout as well as the GSMNP so he keeps a close watch on the trout and their habitat in the park. He informed me that the water temperature is good right now as it is ranging from 60 to 65 in most of the streams. Also, It may even touch the upper fifties in the higher elevations early and late in the day. By the way, that was not the case however, as little as a week ago when caution would be the order of the day.
Here is some of what may be on the trout's menu for this weekend providing the weather remains favorable: Blue-winged Olives, Mahogany Duns, Little Yellow Stoneflies, and Slate Drakes along with the usual terrestrials and sculpins.