Rush to Buffalo City

[Wayne SW/MO]

We're thinking of a trip in late July. Anyone care to share their experience on this section?

[catman70]

Me and my buddy were going to float the lower wilderness over Labor Day weekend. Figured it would be less crowded than any other part of the river, and by taking one day off work we could have four days to do it in. Please report back on your experience.

[Danoinark]

Wayne...my experience on that stretch -- two things...bring plenty of water, since there are no places for fresh water...and when you get to the White, if they are running any generation you may need a shuttle from the confluence up river to the Buffalo Resort. They do those shuttles. There is a takeout down stream on the East side of the river, but if they were running a bunch of water then you could miss that takeout real easy.

Dano

[Al Agnew]

Wayne, assuming a normally dry summer, don't expect to have a lot of water. The lower end of the Buffalo can easily be low enough that you'll do a lot of scraping bottom in the riffles with a loaded canoe. It's a slow stretch with lots of pools and not a lot of fast water.

It's also an absolutely gorgeous stretch of river, maybe the second most beautiful stretch in the Ozarks (the most spectacular being the upper Buffalo from Ponca to a few miles below Kyles). You'll find PLENTY of excellent gravel bars for camping.

The fishing can be pretty good. The river should be very clear at that time, and long casts are a must, but I once had a spectacular trip on that section at that time using buzzbaits.

You won't see a LOT of people, but you may encounter a few.

Taking out at Buffalo City IS a pain...even when they aren't running a lot of generators at Bull Shoals. You have to paddle up about 50 yards of a what is a strong riffle at low water and a raging torrent during high water, and then several hundred yards of slower water and across the White. There are two downstream take-outs on the White, one at Cartney about 3.5 miles downstream from the Buffalo and one at Shipps Ferry about 5 or 6 miles downstream. Both are reached from the north (opposite) side of the White, both are about the same shuttle distance (LONG), and both aren't real obvious but if you visit them beforehand and you keep your eye out you won't miss them. Both are shown on the Delorme atlas. You can also take out at Norfork, 11 miles downstream, if you want to esperience some interesting scenery and fishing on the White. I know that Dillard's was willing to do a shuttle to any of those places last fall when I last did that float. They also told me that I could pay for parking and have the vehicle left at a private place at Buffalo City that was closer to the mouth of the Buffalo than the public access, and that the vehicle would be safer there overnight. But that place was still at the top of the riffle, so I just had them move the vehicle on the day I was planning to take out.

[Wayne SW/MO]

So how long would it take two old men, not in a hurry?

Is there a better overnight at that time?

[Danoinark]

Wayne if I recall correctly its at least 22 miles...so its a hard two days for this old Geezer...and I would say if one wanted to stop at some good holes, it 2 and most of a 3rd....

Dano

[Al Agnew]

I agree with Dano...long two days, reasonably short 3 days. Last fall when we floated it in very low water, we put in at Buffalo Point and floated 3 days, but we weren't fishing real hard.

[bobber]

as fast as you two went last time we could have done it in a day and a half!!! ollie kept saying..... were are they!!!>>>>it only took 7 miles to catch you guys!! must have been wayne's coffee!!lol!!!

[Wayne SW/MO]

We're old, but we ain't slow.

[bobber]

i'm laughin' soooooooo hard the tears are just rolling down my face