The Ruby River is a tributary of the Beaverhead River

Beaverhead River

The Beaverhead River is an approximately -long tributary of the Jefferson River in southwest Montana . It drains an area of roughly . The river's original headwaters, formed by the confluence of the Red Rock River and Horse Prairie Creek, are now flooded under Clark Canyon Reservoir, which also...

, approximately 76 mi (122 km) long, in southwestern Montana

Montana

Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...

 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It rises in the Beaverhead National Forest in southwestern Madison County

Madison County, Montana

-National protected areas:*Beaverhead National Forest *Deerlodge National Forest *Gallatin National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 6,851 people, 2,956 households, and 1,921 families residing in the county. The population density was 2 people per square mile...

  between the Snowcrest Range

Snowcrest Range

The Snowcrest Range, el. , is a small mountain range southeast of Dillon, Montana in Madison County, Montana. The Snowcrest and adjacent Gravelly Range is one of Montana's most popular hunting grounds. The two mountain ranges are home to nearly 10,000 elk and a growing population of grizzly bears...

 and the Gravelly Range

Gravelly Range

The Gravelly Range, highest peak Black Butte, el. , is a mountain range southwest of Cameron, Montana in Madison County, Montana....

. It flows north through the Ruby River Reservoir, past Alder

Alder, Montana

Alder is a census-designated place in Madison County, Montana, United States. The population was 116 at the 2000 census. Alder takes its name from Alder Creek , the site of the second major gold discovery in Montana....

, then northwest, flowing between the Tobacco Root Mountains

Tobacco Root Mountains

The Tobacco Root Mountains lie in the northern Rocky Mountains, between the Jefferson and Madison Rivers in southwest Montana. The highest peak is Hollowtop at...

 to the northeast and the Ruby Range

Ruby Range (Montana)

The Ruby Range, highest point unnamed, el. , is a mountain range southwest of Alder, Montana in Madison County, Montana....

 to the southwest. It joins the Beaverhead near Twin Bridges

Twin Bridges, Montana

Twin Bridges is a town in Madison County, Montana, United States. It lies at the confluence of the Ruby, Beaverhead and Big Hole Rivers which form the Jefferson River. Twin Bridges is a well known fly fishing mecca for trout fisherman...

. The Beaverhead becomes the Jefferson River

Jefferson River

The Jefferson River is a tributary of the Missouri River, approximately long, in the U.S. state of Montana. The Jefferson River and the Madison River form the official beginning of the Missouri at Missouri Headwaters State Park near Three Forks...

 2 mi (3.2 km) downstream where it joins the Big Hole River

Big Hole River

The Big Hole River is a tributary of the Jefferson River, approximately 153 miles  long, in southwestern Montana in the United States. It rises in Skinner lake in the Beaverhead National Forest in the Beaverhead Mountains of the Bitterroot Range at the continental divide along the...

.

The river has also been known by these various names: Pah-mamar-roi, Pak-sam-ma-oi, Pashmaroi, Passamari, Philanthrophy River, Stinking Water Creek, Stinking Water River, Stinkingwater River.

The Ruby is a Class II river for stream access for recreational purposes.

Ruby River angling

The Ruby River provides excellent fly fishing

Fly fishing

Fly fishing is an angling method in which an artificial 'fly' is used to catch fish. The fly is cast using a fly rod, reel, and specialized weighted line. Casting a nearly weightless fly or 'lure' requires casting techniques significantly different from other forms of casting...

 for anglers despite some battles with whirling disease and a massive fish kill

Fish kill

The term fish kill, known also as fish die-off and as fish mortality, is a localized die-off of fish populations which may also be associated with more generalised mortality of aquatic life...

 in the lower stretches in 1994.

The upper stretch of the river, above Ruby Reservoir, has excellent fly fishing for rainbows

Rainbow trout

The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....

, cutthroats

Cutthroat trout

The cutthroat trout is a species of freshwater fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. It is one of the many fish species colloquially known as trout...

 and grayling

Arctic grayling

Arctic grayling is a species of freshwater fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. It comprises five subspecies native to the Nearctic and Palearctic ecozones. T. a. arcticus is widespread throughout the Arctic and Pacific drainages in Canada, Alaska, and Siberia, as well as the upper...

. The lower stretch of the river, below Ruby Dam, provides excellent brown trout

Brown trout

The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....

 fishing. The average size of browns runs between 10-14 inches, with some fish reaching 18-20 inches. Because of limited access, fishing pressure on the lower river is light.

Advocates

• Jefferson River Watershed Council — The mission of the Jefferson River Watershed Council is to coordinate efforts, through a spirit of community cooperation and sharing, that will enhance, conserve, and protect the natural resources, quality of life, and economic vitality of the Jefferson River watershed.
• Trout Unlimited — Trout Unlimited
  Trout Unlimited
  Trout Unlimited is an international non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of freshwater streams, rivers, and associated upland habitats for trout, salmon, other aquatic species, and people. Often contracted as "TU," the organization began in 1959 in Michigan...
  
  's mission is to conserve, protect and restore North America's coldwater fisheries and their watersheds.
• Western Watersheds Project — The mission of Western Watersheds Project is to protect and restore western watersheds and wildlife through education, public policy initiatives and litigation.
• Montana River Action — The clean flowing waters of Montana belong to the people and are held in trust by the State for a pollution-free healthful environment guaranteed by our Montana Constitution. Montana River Action's mission is to protect and restore rivers, streams and other water bodies.
• Public Land/Water Access Association - The mission of the association is to maintain, restore, and perpetuate public access to the boundaries of all Montana public land and waters