2021/07/27 22:55:12
MyWar
Anybody ever fish Buffalo Creek in the summer? I’m thinking about wading the section upstream from Winfield junction.

I know they stock trout upstream in a DHALO section up by craigsville, but I’m more interested in bass or any other gamefish that might be in the deeper pools. All the stockies are probably dead by now anyway.

Is it worth my time?
2021/07/28 06:39:03
Moses Guthrie
Yeah I have done real well on smallmouths in the summer on buffalo.
2021/07/28 08:02:43
Sruschak
Buffalo is underrated. I've caught smallmouth, walleye, sauger, channel cats, trout, all in one outing. Try hiking upstream from W Winfield Road Bridge. It is very wild with lots of nice holes. I've even seen a bear up there while fishing.
2021/07/29 17:44:52
MyWar
Moses Guthrie
Yeah I have done real well on smallmouths in the summer on buffalo.

 
What section of the creek do you recommend? The other day I walked about a half mile or so near Monroe along the bike trail, just below where little buffalo creek dumps into it. I got two bass and I missed a couple (might have to throw smaller baits than what I'm used to). It was decent, but I don't know if I'd go back to that area.
 
I was wondering if there might be better water upstream tho. From my office, its a pretty straight shot out 28 if I feel like fishing for a couple hours before dark after work. Looks like there is access upstream off Sarver road and 3004, W Winfield road, Hogg and Wilson road (near a place called "Yellow Dog"), Craigsville... and maybe even more upstream from that. Any of that stuff worth a look?
 
2021/07/31 08:26:17
jfel5472
I've talked to some locals up in Buffalo while fishing the Niagara and they say it can be hit or miss. The creek looks awesome though!
2021/07/31 20:39:44
snagr
i’ve lived 10-20 minutes from those areas you mention for 20 years and of my friends/acquaintances who at least regularly fish for smallmouth i’ve never heard one mention it is a good or great place to go for smallmouth. ridiculously popular trout stream though.

i fish it several times a year for trout with my sons. we have also tried several stretches for smallmouth with not much to show for the effort. some 10-12” fish and not a lot of them.

there are probably stretches that hold better numbers and some bigger fish further downstream towards freeport and i have talked to some anglers who speak of rare 18-20” fish.

there are a ton of access points both directly north and south of sarver road off of north and south scenic drives. where wilson crosses the stream is beautiful looking water and you can park there and walk quite a good distance up or down stream. at the very least, at this time of year you’d probably have the water to yourself and lots of room to roam and find the type of water you like.
2023/09/18 12:12:46
VarsityEagleScout
If there's a local expert that can still use a computer, I'm it.Older thread but the Wilson Road mentioned herein is named after my family. We own about 800 acres and growing up on the South Buffalo end in Boggsville by the sawmill a lack of cable, Nintendo, internet, and prescription amphetamines for 'hyperactivity', my brother and I spend every summer day in the section about a mile upstream or down from the Bridge on Sarver Road. With the neighbor born in 1906 we learned the "proper" names for all the spots from the Sand Bar where the local bush league built a ballfield and dugout at the intersection of Johnston Rd. and North Scenic to The Otter Hole on what was the Beckitt farm about a mile down S. Scenic. It being in competition with 40 Foot above the Bridge on the Winfield end of the property as the deepest spot not including the mouth at Freeport where either backflow or dredging allows some boaters to dock off the river. It's a lot of property and the parts that weren't in the family were never posted and nobody seemed to have any contempt or concern for a couple boys and their dog in the early 90's. Even for a gang of them hellbent on rock damming a pool deep enough to survive the plunge from some "scavenged" piece of rope.
    I'm back from my college years and have fished it 36 times this year hitting all the old favorites and marveling at the dynamic nature of such a timeless creek. Try the hole where Cornplanter Run enters. It brings moving vold springwater into a reasonable deep and slow moving pool that provides some last cool water hospice for the springs stocked trout which pile there up to a hundred strong waiting to expire or be be abducted by the ancient but active local raccoon cartel. There is parking and the ladies who own the property only ask no fires and no camping. The warmer parts of the pool hold everything from carp and rock bass to smallmouth, occasional largemouth and rock bass. Pulled a decent drum just this weekend and they developed a pretty purple color with sunlight unlike the ghostly river "sheepshead". 
    I've found new baitfish holes and with the crayfish molted and soft right now, I've been pulling small but good fighting and beautifully colored smallmouth out of nearly every spot that makes my fish senses tingle. SOmebody posted that they've caught walleye and catfish. I suppose a catfish is possible close to the river but the only walleye upstream from the river aren't walleye. They're saugeye or "sauger" and can be just as mean and fun. A lot of the lowest clearest stretches hold bass that you should be able to plainly see but can't until they dance a foot into the air while deciding how long they're gonna make you wonder if they're hooked or just hanging onto whatever crossed their path until they're sure it's learned who run that particular pile of 3 rocks.  Email me or message if u like. I can show you some great access and spots and you'll have permission to park and do as you like for as long as you like. As a kid I went entire summers without a fish learning on my own. I still feel like late summer with low water on buffalo is a trap for fools but with some patience, experience, better knots, and not so many other teenage vices to worry about (if you think finding a piece if rope was hard, try finding a girl or an abandoned playboy.) WHy is it even standup comedians have stories about their first playboy being found under a bridge? I thought that was a uniquely one-time Boggsville experience. "Not in my house" she said, springing from what I can only assume is a Viet Cong tunnel she built opening just far enough from the bus stop to avoid witnesses. And she must've only had 18 hours to do it from the moment she heard somebody trying to quietly remove their heater vent and replace it probably only about 11 seconds later.
What were we talking about again?
Anyway, come enjoy it. It's not anything it's not but if fishing small waters that are available when you have the time is your thing, It's got a lot on other creeks that get more mention and are a lot more like culverts than fisheries.
2023/09/27 23:03:11
MyWar
Woah that’s quite a colorful post!

Yea I got some tips and I ended up hitting Buffalo a couple times last year and had some nice little trips. Found some surprisingly big bass in one of those holes. It’s a very pretty creek and I really enjoyed spending time exploring it.

Ive really only checked out about a mile long stretch tho, so I’d totally be into fishing some other good spots. I’m gonna send you a PM Eagle Scout.
2023/09/30 00:08:34
fisherofmen376
Wow. Reading that was…an experience!

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