Buffalo River Fishing Map & Spots (TN)

Hatch outlook

Willow fly (summer mayfly)Active window

Typical here: Apr 1 – Oct 31 · recurring broods all summer — the heart of it is June–July, famously around July 4th on the Tennessee River lakes; any one hatch lasts days to ~3 weeks

dunhatches at dusk — clouds of bugs just before dark, continuing into the night — after hatching they fly to shoreline foliage — trees near lighted docks get covered; the feeding zone is the water under bug-loaded overhanging bushes and willows
spinnerthe following days: mating, egg drop and spent flies falling from the overhangs — the bream bite under the bushes runs as long as the bugs do

A two-level event: bream stack under the bug trees, and the big bass stack under the bream. Fish the same bushes twice — small for bream, big for the bass just outside them.

Crickets or small poppers under a float tight to the bug-covered bushes for bream; beetle spins and hair jigs just under the surface; for the bass, run a bluegill-pattern topwater or squarebill down the outside edge of the overhangs.

The event happens over under and just outside overhanging willows and bushes on steep banks; trees near lighted docks after dark

Next on this water

Spring crawfish emergence · forageFeb 15 – May 15 · in ~6 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours on this water are approximations. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at Buffalo River

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Buffalo River on the board.

Fishing Buffalo River: what the data says

110 unbroken miles of smallmouth canoe water. The river tops out around 8 ft. The contours come from a model of the real basin shape and its known max depth. Read them as probabilities, not soundings, and keep them out of navigation decisions. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.

Traced from the shoreline, Buffalo River runs 2,529 acres with 99.8 miles of edge. An index of 14.2 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. Tip to tip the water measures near 30.3 mi with a 5.8-mi widest point. The water lies in Perry County. The nearest mapped water is Laurel Hill Lake, 29 mi to the southeast.

Smallmouth Bass fishing at Buffalo River

The spring pattern is a shallow one: smallmouth bass in 2 to 8 ft. The depth story barely changes: 2 to 8 ft through summer, 2 to 8 ft in winter. Top water on the chart: Riffle & run (mile 16.7), a rock pile in the 3 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	dawn & dusk	Riffle & run (mile 16.7) (3 ft)	Ned rig, Tube jig
Summer	2 to 8 ft	dawn & dusk	Riffle & run (mile 16.7) (3 ft)	Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig
Fall	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Riffle & run (mile 16.7) (3 ft)	Jerkbait, Blade bait
Winter	2 to 8 ft	midday	Riffle & run (mile 16.7) (3 ft)	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. They don't go far with the seasons — 2 to 8 ft covers summer, 2 to 8 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6), a creek channel in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in fall. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	2 to 8 ft	dawn & dusk	open water	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (6 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	2 to 8 ft	midday	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (6 ft)	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. They don't go far with the seasons — 2 to 8 ft covers summer, 2 to 8 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6), a creek channel in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	2 to 8 ft	dusk	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (6 ft)
Summer	2 to 8 ft	night & dusk	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (6 ft)
Fall	2 to 8 ft	dusk	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (6 ft)
Winter	2 to 8 ft	midday	Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (6 ft)

Notable structure

The chart marks 19 structure features on Buffalo River; the deepest is Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) at about 6 ft.

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

Public access & boat ramps

Canoe Launch: SR 13 at Buffalo River — carry-in

Access data: Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency — Access Sites. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

Buffalo River fishing regulations

Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Tennessee waters are set by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency — and special regulations can apply to Buffalo River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Tennessee fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Buffalo River?

Buffalo River is about 8 ft (2 m) deep 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 smallmouth bass, largemouth 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. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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.

What are the fishing regulations for Buffalo River?

Fishing on Buffalo River is regulated by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Check the official Tennessee regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.

Nearby waters

Laurel Hill Lake 29 mi · VFW Lake 30 mi · Shellcracker Lake 33 mi · Blue Cat Lake 33 mi · Whippoorwill Lake 34 mi · Kentucky Lake 44 mi, KY/TN · Duck River 47 mi · Harpeth River 51 mi · Pickwick Lake 56 mi, TN/AL/MS · Wilson Lake 62 mi, AL · Gibson County Lake 63 mi · Marrowbone Lake 64 mi

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 see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.