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Smallmouth Buffalo

Smallmouth Buffalo

Smallmouth Buffalo (Ictiobus bubalus) are native catostomid fish found throughout Iowa's major waterways, not members of the carp family despite their similar appearance. These long-lived fish can exceed 100 years and reach impressive sizes.

Once rare in Iowa waters, their abundance has increased significantly and they now equal bigmouth buffalo populations while being more abundant than black buffalo.

Scientific Name: Ictiobus bubalus

Physical Characteristics:
  • Iowa's current state record being a 43-pound, 36-inch specimen caught from the Wapsipinicon River.

What to know

Habitat Distribution

  • Smallmouth Buffalo prefer clear, deep waters with moderate to swift current over mixed sand, gravel, and silt substrates.
  • In Iowa, they inhabit deep pools of streams, large rivers, backwaters, and oxbows.

Key Locations

  • They're abundant in the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, less common in large tributaries like the Des Moines, Cedar, Iowa, and Big Sioux Rivers, and occasionally found in natural lakes including East and West Okoboji and Spirit Lakes.
  • Specific productive waters include Pool 15-19 of the Mississippi River, various sections of the Cedar, Des Moines, Iowa, and Wapsipinicon Rivers, plus lakes like Macbride, Manawa, and O'Leary.
  • Try large reservoirs like Coralville, Saylorville, Red Rock, and Rathbun.

Specific Spots

  • Target deep pools, backwaters, wing dam scour holes, and rip-rap structures along the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers.
  • Particularly seeking out rip-rap structures and scour holes around wing dams in the Great Border Rivers.

Smallmouth Buffalo FAQ

Answers from onWater's species guide.

What flies work for Smallmouth Buffalo in Iowa?

Use bright-colored patterns in stained water (pink, orange, chartreuse) or natural colors (olive, brown) in clear water. Effective flies include carp crack patterns, backstabbers, bonefish butters, glo bugs, woolly buggers, and small stonefly nymph imitations.

When is the best time to fish for Smallmouth Buffalo in Iowa?

Focus fishing efforts during pre-spawn (early spring) when they're feeding heavily, and post-spawn summer months. Avoid targeting them from late April through June during spawning periods.

How do you catch Smallmouth Buffalo in Iowa?

Bottom-fishing techniques, sight fishing when they're visible in shallow water tailing or feeding nose-down.

What do Smallmouth Buffalo eat?

As opportunistic bottom feeders, they consume aquatic insect larvae, attached algae, detritus, zooplankton, small mollusks, and crustaceans, with their diet varying seasonally based on food availability.

Where do Smallmouth Buffalo live in Iowa?

Smallmouth Buffalo prefer clear, deep waters with moderate to swift current over mixed sand, gravel, and silt substrates. In Iowa, they inhabit deep pools of streams, large rivers, backwaters, and oxbows.

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