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Buffalo River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Oct 23, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

America’s first national river: the Buffalo runs smallmouth and bluffs through the Arkansas Ozarks.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
69 cfs
Air / High
56 / 78 F
Wind
ENE 1 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 07056000, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
23
October 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Buffalo River rewards those who follow the bait as the water cools. The river is running 69 cfs, on the rise. Today brings clear skies, wind ENE around 1 mph, steady pressure near 1023 hPa and a high of 78. Water sits around 62 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 9:47 AM-11:47 AM and 10:15 PM-12:15 AM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

MuskellungeExcellent

This band covers the spring spawn, which in Wisconsin runs at 49-60°F; spawning muskies eat little and rarely chase lures, Wisconsin DNR says. After the spawn, and again as fall water cools, work large lures along weed edges and structure.

Smallmouth bassGood

Spring pre-spawn and fall: Iowa DNR notes the larger bass come up to shallow structure, where a shallow-running minnow bait or a spinnerbait just under the surface works.

WalleyeGood

Spring: post-spawn fish scatter and can be slow for a couple of weeks. Fall: one of the best windows, with minnows on jigs and three-way rigs as the water cools toward ice-up.

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

In spring after ice-out, Iowa finds channel cats feeding on winter-killed shad on the shallow, warmer mudflats at the upper ends of reservoirs; cut bait on the bottom works there.

Tomorrow: Similar at 80 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Oct 24, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Before you go

Arkansas requires a fishing licence from age 16, from $10.50 for residents. What a Arkansas licence costs and where to buy it →

Chasing smallmouth bass here? Check the size and bag limits with AGFC before you keep anything. The season dates for Arkansas, read off the agency, are on the Arkansas seasons page.

Water and weather

Live readings from Buffalo River near St. Joe.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 07056000.

477610569 cfs09/2310/0310/1310/23

Today’s flow against 87 years of October 23

At 69 cfs, the flow at USGS gauge 07056000 (Buffalo River near St. Joe) is at the 51st percentile for the date: normal. In half of the 87 years of approved record the daily mean on October 23 was below 66 cfs; the highest was 2,880 cfs and the lowest 14 cfs.

p10 26median 66p90 596

Percentiles of the daily mean flow for this date, from the USGS Water Data Statistics API for gauge 07056000; today’s reading is the latest instantaneous value. Classes follow the ones the USGS used on its WaterWatch maps (retired at the end of 2025): below 10th, much below normal; 10th–24th, below; 25th–75th, normal; 76th–90th, above; over 90th, much above.

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp56 F
High / Low78 / 44 F
WindENE 1-9 mph
Pressure1023.0 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 0%
Sunrise / Sunset07:25 / 18:24
MoonWaxing Gibbous, 91%
Water temp (seasonal)~62 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Which day to fish Buffalo River this week

The best day on Buffalo River this week looks like Sunday Oct 25, at 4 out of 5, against 3 today.

Best day this week: Sunday, Oct 25 — good at 4/5, falling pressure, usually the best window of a week.

Today, Oct 23 — Fair

A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Solunar majors
9:47 AM-11:47 AM and 10:15 PM-12:15 AM
Minor period
4:09 AM-5:09 AM
Sun
07:25 to 18:24
Moon
Waxing Gibbous, 91% lit
Sky and wind
Partly cloudy, 5 mph
Rain chance
0%

Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out: how the score is built.

Species guide

The species that matter on Buffalo River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: spring and fall, when bigger fish come shallow

A bronze-brown black bass of clear, cool streams and rocky lakes, with dark vertical bars instead of a side stripe. Michigan DNR says its southeastern coast, from Port Huron to Lake Erie, is known nationally for both the size and the number of its smallmouth. Spring pre-spawn and fall: Iowa DNR notes the larger bass come up to shallow structure, where a shallow-running minnow bait or a spinnerbait just under the surface works.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: spring and late fall, around dawn, dusk and night

A cool-water perch of large lakes, reservoirs and rivers whose reflective eyes are built for low light, so it feeds most at night and in murky water. The Missouri Department of Conservation ranks it among the continent's most important freshwater game fish. Spring: post-spawn fish scatter and can be slow for a couple of weeks. Fall: one of the best windows, with minnows on jigs and three-way rigs as the water cools toward ice-up.

Muskellunge illustration

Muskellunge

Fished from late spring into late fall where seasons allow

Muskellunge are solitary, fish-eating ambush predators of the pike family, holding in weed beds and other cover in lakes and rivers of the Great Lakes, upper Mississippi and Ohio basins. This band covers the spring spawn, which in Wisconsin runs at 49-60°F; spawning muskies eat little and rarely chase lures, Wisconsin DNR says. After the spawn, and again as fall water cools, work large lures along weed edges and structure.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Year-round, best at dusk and after dark

Three big catfish share most of the country's rivers and reservoirs: the channel catfish, the most widespread; the blue catfish, the largest; and the flathead, which hunts live fish. All feed mostly on or near the bottom. In spring after ice-out, Iowa finds channel cats feeding on winter-killed shad on the shallow, warmer mudflats at the upper ends of reservoirs; cut bait on the bottom works there.

When to come: the Buffalo River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Smallmouth bass
Walleye
Muskellunge
Catfish (blue, channel)
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 62 F (estimated, not a reading).

4050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~62 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Buffalo River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Oct 22

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 77 F, wind to 4 mph.

Wed, Oct 21

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 72 F, wind to 4 mph.

Tue, Oct 20

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 74 F, wind to 5 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

Arkansas requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Arkansas license. Smallmouth and other limits per current AGFC regulations; national park rules apply to camping and access.

Access

National Park Service accesses at Ponca, Kyles Landing, Jasper, Gilbert and Buffalo Point; outfitter shuttles.

About this water

A 153-mile undammed river through the Arkansas Ozarks to the White River: America’s first national river.

Fishing Buffalo River: the full guide

The first national river

The Buffalo River flows 153 miles through the Arkansas Ozarks to the White River, designated in 1972 as America’s first national river: undammed, protected and running clear beneath limestone bluffs that rise 500 feet. Smallmouth bass are the primary sport fish, joined by largemouth, rock bass (goggle-eye), catfish and sunfish in a river valued as much for its scenery as its fishing.

Smallmouth on the gravel

The smallmouth fishery is classic Ozark: bluff pools, gravel bars, current seams and wood, worked with tubes, small crankbaits, spinners and topwater. Fish average modest with better ones in the deeper holes. Floating is the standard approach, and the clear water lets anglers see fish and structure, which changes how the river is fished.

Flows and the season

The Buffalo is undammed and entirely rain-fed: the upper river is floatable only after rain in spring, while the lower river holds water through summer. Late summer can leave the upper reaches too low to float, concentrating fish in the remaining pools. Check current levels before planning, as conditions change fast.

National park logistics

National Park Service accesses serve the river throughout, with outfitters at Ponca, Jasper, Gilbert and Buffalo Point providing canoes and shuttles. Camping is available at park sites and gravel bars. The river draws heavy recreational float traffic in summer: fish early, weekdays, or the less popular lower reaches.

Common questions

When can I float the upper river?

Spring and after rain: the upper Buffalo is rain-dependent and often too low by late summer.

What is a goggle-eye?

Rock bass: abundant in the Buffalo and a favorite on light tackle alongside the smallmouth.

Is it crowded?

In summer on the popular reaches, yes: it is a national park unit. Weekdays and the lower river are quieter.

Is fishing good at Buffalo River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

White River30 miBull Shoals Lake38 miNorfork Lake38 miGreers Ferry Lake43 miLittle Red River53 miLake Taneycomo54 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

River and reservoir readings
USGS 07056000 — Buffalo River near St. Joe
Read from the USGS Water Data API (api.waterdata.usgs.gov). Latest value timestamped 2026-10-23 at 13:45 UTC.
Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 35.9800, -92.7500 in this water's own timezone. A model, not an observation.
Moon and solunar windows
Calculated on this site
Astronomical calculation from these coordinates and the date, not a third-party feed. How much weight it deserves.
The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
How this page was made. The daily report is computed by our scoring engine from live readings; nobody types it. The written guide was drafted with AI assistance. Unlike our newer pages, it does not yet list the official pages its facts were checked against: that audit is under way, and anything it cannot verify will be taken out. Pablo Ruiz Quintero sets every guideline, the data-verification system and the minimum standards a page must meet to be published, reviews page structure and approves what goes live; the responsibility is his, and the AI carries out the work. We work this way because it is how one person can keep every page current with named sources. Errors are published in the verification log; the full policy is in the editorial policy.

Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on how our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.