Buffalo Newby

[Oak Walker]

I'm wanting to do a float this fall Sept/Oct on the lower Buffalo. I have never been on the Buffalo before but have spent some time in that area and love what I have seen. How long would it take me to float and fish Rush to the confluence of the White? Is the fishing on that stretch any good? How much traffic could one expect through the middle of the week at that time of year? Thanks for any and all help and I will keep you all updated on my plans for this fall.

[Plastic_worm]

Really depends on how much you fish but if you want to enjoy the float, plan for camping 3 nights. That way you only have to float about 9 miles/day. I wouldn't expect to see many people on this section it's fairly remote...no access after Rush until you get to the White. With that said I see more river jon's on this section than any other section on the buffalo. So be prepared for a little motor noise and wake...I have never had a bad experience with any boaters, just FYI. Fishing is really good. Less party floaters and fishing pressure. Be prepared for low flow's in Oct, it'll most likely be floatable but a canoe/kayak loaded w/ 4-5 days of camping gear/food will be heavy and slow already (I like to do this section in May/June). Only real hazard is the first rapid after rush, Clabber Creek shoal, depending on your ability it may be wise to portage. Hope some of this helps.

[Oak Walker]

Thanks so much Plastic worm for the info. It will help a lot. How many miles is it?

[Plastic_worm]

Around 25 miles to Buffalo City which you'd have to paddle up the White and that can be a problem if they are generating at BSD. Some people use a guy across from the confluence but I can't remember his name, someone on here will probably have it or do a search he's been mentioned many times. I like to float down river about 5 more miles to Shipps Ferry on the White. It's not the most productive trout area but I still catch a few to round out a fishing trip. And I've never had an issue leaving my vehicle there for a few days.

Map link on lower left side of page, provides distances.

http://www.nps.gov/buff/index.htm

[Al Agnew]

Keep in mind that by autumn the days are getting a lot shorter, so you might only be on the water for seven or eight hours a day even if you like to get an early start in the mornings. Figuring on about a mile an hour that would mean it would take three full days to cover that stretch, and lots of anglers like to fish slower than that. I once floated that section around the end of October in three days, and didn't feel like I had any time at all to fish.

And as noted above, it will probably be low at that time, and on the lower Buffalo, low means you'll probably even have to get out and walk a few riffles, and the pools are long and slow. You won't cover a lot of territory very fast without doing more paddling than fishing. Watch the Harriet gauge. If the river there is flowing less than 75 cfs you're in for some work getting down it.

[Oak Walker]

Thanks so much for all the info. I'm really excited about the trip, but I don't want it to turn into a disaster. I knew I could get some good info here! I may look at moving it into Sept. and then just keep an eye on the water levels. I just wanted to do this in the fall when leafs where doing there thing if you know what I mean. Thanks again guys.

[Ham]

Watch the Harriet gauge. If the river there is flowing less than 75 cfs you're in for some work getting down it.

That's gold right there.

[hoglaw]

Last time I did it was mid-week in October and I was by myself. Didn't see a human being the entire time. I had a week between leaving my old job and starting my next, so I left a "float plan" that called for me spending 2 or even 3 nights on the river. I planned to take it slow.

But the weather had other things in mind. The water was high (don't remember CFS...sorry Al), but it was about 4.5 feet on the most downstream reading which coincicded with about a 4' standing wave in the middle of clabber creek shoals. The wind blew hard the entire trip. I'd say a sustained 20 with gusts of 30+ at times. Fortunately there was enough current to fight it and I could just let it spin me around while I fished. With those conditions, bottom fishing was out so I threw a sammy the whole time and murdered them.

By 5:00 on day one, I had already passed that mid-point creek. I made camp and it was so windy I didn't even mess with a fire. It was cold too. I brought my dog and he curled up as close as he could get to me in the tent that night. The next day conditoins weren't any better, and I was done with the trip by mid-afternoon at Shipp's Ferry.

Water levels are the whole enchilada on that float. If it's moving, you can do it in two days easily even while fishing the whole time (maybe not stopping to get out and wade every run, but at least drive-bys). If it's low...well I've never done it low. I've done it in three days before with good water, two days with high water, and that's it.

The fishing is definitely good. I wouldn't say it's the best in the state or anything, but it's worth the trip. The scenery and wildlife is exceptional. I've seen pigs, turkeys, and deer on every float. Yes you will encounter a john boat or two, but not very many during the week and not too far up. Now a nice spring weekend during turkey season? You're likely to see bunches of them and a couple of turkey camps.

[hoglaw]

funny, that was a trip down memory lane so I looked up my old post on it. I didn't post a report. I suppose that since enough time has passed I can spill the beans that I caught a bunch of big small mouth on sammys that trip. Also, my recollection of the gauges was a little off. But I did finish the trip in two less than full days.

[Crooked Creek Angler]

A good floating buddy of mine and I do this float about every year in late Sept. early Oct and have been doing it for about 20 years now..  Most years the leaves are barely beginning to change at this time.  If you want some real color mid-Oct would be better, but the weather is a little more unpredictable then too.  We usually leave Rush early in the morning, (close to daylight), and do the trip to Shipp's Ferry in 2.5 days.  Then again we get up super early each morning and pack up camp before daylight so we can get on the water right at daybreak.  We seem to catch the best fish before 9:00 AM.  We usually cover over 10 miles each day fishing at a fairly fast pace and not staying at any one place very long.  I would recommend buying a good map with mileages on it to keep track of where you are on the river to get a good feel for how long it will take you or when to pick up the pace, (or slow down), when you need to.  If you have the time it would be nice to do it in 4 days and 3 nights and take it a little easier only doing around 7 miles or so per day giving yourself more time for camping, cooking and fishing.  Like Hoglaw says, the river level means a lot.  I've done the trip in a day and a half before as well when the river was up and rolling.  All in all, a great time to float the Buffalo, typically good weather, not many people, and good fishing.  I think our record for total number of bass, (we don't count bluegills, catfish, and the occasional gar that eat our lures), is 317 in a 2.5 day float, (that trip was at 300 cfs).  But that was back when we used to keep count.  Nowadays the number of fish are not as important.  Hope you have a great trip and remember when on a long float to always take the chicken trail !

Maybe we'll see you out there...

 

p.s.  -  I'd recommend Shipp's Ferry as the take out as well.