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Fishing Buffalo River: what the data says
110 unbroken miles of smallmouth canoe water. The river tops out around 8 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Buffalo River
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. The spot to know is Riffle & run (mile 16.7), a rock pile in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Buffalo River
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for fall largemouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Channel Catfish fishing at Buffalo River
Start shallow in spring: channel catfish sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for summer channel catfish. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday |
Notable structure
- Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6): creek channel, around 6 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 3.4): creek channel, around 6 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 5.9): creek channel, around 6 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 10.5): creek channel, around 6 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 13.3): creek channel, around 6 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 18.9): creek channel, around 6 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 21.1): creek channel, around 6 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 23.2): creek channel, around 6 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 25.7): creek channel, around 6 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 28.2): creek channel, around 6 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 30.1): creek channel, around 6 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 32.2): creek channel, around 6 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 35.9): creek channel, around 6 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 40.0): creek channel, around 6 ft
Common questions
How deep is Buffalo River?
Buffalo River is about 8 ft at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
What fish are in Buffalo River?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, channel catfish on Buffalo River.
Where is the best fishing spot on Buffalo River?
Riffle & run (mile 16.7) is the top-rated area: a rock pile in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Buffalo River?
For smallmouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Laurel Hill Lake · VFW Lake · Whippoorwill Lake · Kentucky Lake · Duck River · Harpeth River
See how Buffalo River stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Tennessee · best smallmouth bass lakes in Tennessee · best channel catfish lakes in Tennessee
Browse all Tennessee fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.