Upper Buffalo river trip help

[Jason400]

Hello everyone.

I am in the process of planning a 2-3 day trip on the Buffalo river. We are wanting to float the upper portion, Ponca to Pruitt. I have been told that this section is not floatable after May or June due to low water levels? I have been given mixed answers, some say we should be ok in June others say don't try it after mid May. Any suggestions are welcome, we just need to have this trip planned by end of January so that everyone can put in for the time off.

Thanks
Jason

[Ouachitoff]

Given the section you want to float, I would say the "highest probability" of good water levels coinciding with your planned time to be there is late April/early May. It really just depends, though. It is incredibly hard to predict when and where the spring rains will fall, this far in advance.
The advice I give anyone who asks me about planning a float trip on the buffalo in advance is to try and stay in the general area of the float you want to do, and be flexible, should the rain come/not come. I have recommended folks stick to the lower district in June/July, only to have a huge storm come through 3 days before and flood them out, while I have sent folks to the upper district to stay in Jasper or Ponca and the rains not come and they had to go to the middle district to float.

[Jason400]

Thanks Chris,

As of now we are planning Mid May and will adjust as needed. I guess we can plan on the same time frame and if the water isn't there then we will move to the mid section and float that portion.

[Deuce]

Chris is spot on. You're getting mixed responses because there's no way to predict what the levels will be at any given time. The best way to approach a Buffalo multi-day is watch the gauges to get a feel for what kinds of rain events will get it to acceptable levels and how long said levels will last. This makes planning a trip tough, especially for folks more than a couple hours away, but it's the reality of a free flowing river. It's true that the chances of having enough water are generally much better between January and June, but anyone who plans a long distance drive to the Buffalo (especially the upper) should have a very good back up plan.

[Jason400]

Thanks for the help. Im from NW MO and we typically float south MO streams, most of which are a little more predictable in regards to the water levels.

As of now we will plan on mid May and see how it goes when the time comes.

[Deuce]

Thanks for the help. Im from NW MO and we typically float south MO streams, most of which are a little more predictable in regards to the water levels.

As of now we will plan on mid May and see how it goes when the time comes.

Solid plan. You should have a shot at least. Be sure to post your plans when the time comes (unless you don't want company).