Montana Freestone
Jefferson River Fishing Report, Flows and Hatches
A large freestone formed where the Beaverhead, Ruby, and Big Hole meet near Twin Bridges. It fishes best in spring and fall, since low summer flows and irrigation draws warm the water, and the fall streamer game for big browns is the reason to come.
Freestone
Montana
4,420 ft
Gauge 06027600
Right now
Live conditions
An expert read, in your pocket
Rivus knows your river right now. Live conditions, what’s hatching, and what to tie on, the moment you open it.
When the day turns and nothing’s working, ask Eddy and change the plan.
Download Rivus
Free on the App Store. Download it today.
The hatch chart
Jefferson River hatch chart
The emergences that come off the Jefferson by month, straight from the Rivus hatch model.
| Hatch | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Skwala Stonefly, #8-10 | ||||||||||||
March Brown Mayfly, #14-16 | ||||||||||||
Blue Winged Olive Mayfly, #14-20 | ||||||||||||
Grannom / Mother's Day Caddis Caddis, #14-16 | ||||||||||||
Caddisfly Caddis, #14-16 | ||||||||||||
Golden Stonefly Stonefly, #8-12 | ||||||||||||
Little Yellow Sally Stonefly, #10-14 | ||||||||||||
Brown Drake Mayfly, #10-12 | ||||||||||||
Pale Morning Dun Mayfly, #14-16 | ||||||||||||
Trico Mayfly, #18-22 | ||||||||||||
Grasshopper / Terrestrial Hopper, #8-12 | ||||||||||||
Flying Ant / Carpenter Ant Ant, #14-18 | ||||||||||||
October Caddis Caddis, #8-10 |
How it fishes
A Montana freestone
A freestone river runs free off snowmelt and rain, so it swings hard with the seasons. It blows out and browns up in spring runoff, then drops and warms into summer. The hatches track the water temperature more than the calendar, so you time your trip to the flow and the thermometer.
Flow and gauge
Reading the flows
The Jefferson is metered at USGS gauge 06027600. Watch the trend as much as the number: a river that is dropping and clearing fishes very differently from one that is coming up.
Access and regulations
Before you fish
Access and the right to fish are the angler’s responsibility, every time. Public access, private water, and seasonal closures vary along the river, so confirm where you can legally stand and wade before you go. We do not point you to a specific spot.
Read the current rules, license requirements, and any special-regulation water before you go. Regulations change season to season, so check them fresh.
Flow and water temperature from USGS, weather from NWS and NOAA, refreshed hourly. Real-time USGS readings are provisional and subject to revision. The hatch chart and river read are Rivus model output.