Buffalo Slough, Minnesota: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Buffalo Slough is a Goodhue County water, in Minnesota. It stands 656 feet above sea level. Red Wing lies 5.3 miles from the water. Saint Paul sits 33 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Nearest other option: Jones Lake a touch under 0.6 miles, 1.4 miles away is Gantenbein Lake, Brunner Lake a touch under 2.4 miles, 2.5 miles away is Trenton Slough and Nelson Lake a touch under 3 miles. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Buffalo Slough

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Open biodiversity records for Goodhue County list common carp, brown trout, rainbow trout, white bass and freshwater drum. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Buffalo Slough gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 72°F and January at 13°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early April. On average, early April opens the water and early December closes it again. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. The season on Buffalo Slough rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. If the gate is shut, Jones Lake at 0.6 miles is the nearest alternative. Rules at Buffalo Slough are worth checking on the day.