Montana Freestone
Ruby River Fishing Report, Flows and Hatches
An underrated southwest Montana freestone near Alder, a solid brown trout river where fish average 13 to 17 inches. Strong caddis and a lower elevation give it a longer season than the high Yellowstone-country rivers.
Freestone
Montana
5,400 ft
Gauge 06019500
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.
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The hatch chart
Ruby River hatch chart
The emergences that come off the Ruby by month, straight from the Rivus hatch model.
| Hatch | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Midge Midge, #18-22 | ||||||||||||
Caddisfly Caddis, #14-18 | ||||||||||||
Blue Winged Olive Mayfly, #16-18 | ||||||||||||
Pale Morning Dun Mayfly, #16-18 | ||||||||||||
Salmonfly Stonefly, #2-4 | ||||||||||||
Golden Stonefly Stonefly, #6-8 | ||||||||||||
Callibaetis Mayfly, #14-16 | ||||||||||||
Pale Evening Dun Mayfly, #16-18 | ||||||||||||
Pale Morning Dun Spinner / Rusty Spinner Mayfly, #16-18 | ||||||||||||
Little Yellow Sally Stonefly, #10-12 | ||||||||||||
Grasshopper / Terrestrial Hopper, #6-12 | ||||||||||||
Flying Ant / Carpenter Ant Ant, #14-18 | ||||||||||||
Terrestrial Beetle Beetle, #14-18 | ||||||||||||
October Caddis Caddis, #6-8 |
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 Ruby is metered at USGS gauge 06019500. 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.