Editing Ruby River

{{short description|Tributary of the Beaverhead River}}
{{Infobox river
  | name              = Ruby River
  | image             = RubyRiver.jpg
  | image_size        = 200px
  | image_caption     = Fly fisherman on the Ruby River
<!---------------------- MAPS -->
| map                = 
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| map_caption        = 
| map_alt            = 
| pushpin_map        = Montana
| pushpin_map_size   = 
| pushpin_map_caption= Location of mouth
| pushpin_map_alt    = 
<!---------------------- LOCATION -->
| subdivision_type1  = Country
| subdivision_name1  = [[United States]]
| subdivision_type2  = State
| subdivision_name2  = [[Montana]]
| subdivision_type3  = 
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  | source1_location  = 
  | mouth_location    = 
  | mouth_coordinates = {{coord|45|31|13|N|112|20|25|W|name=Ruby River|display=inline,title}}
  | mouth_coord_ref   =<ref name=gnis>{{cite gnis |id= 789840 |name=Ruby River}}</ref>
  | progression       = 
  | length            = {{convert|76|mi|km}}
  | source1_elevation = 
  | mouth_elevation   = {{convert|4642|ft|m}}<ref name=gnis/>
  | discharge1_location=near [[Twin Bridges, Montana|Twin Bridges]]
  | discharge1_avg    ={{convert|199|cuft/s|m3/s|abbr=on}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://waterdata.usgs.gov/mt/nwis/annual/?format=sites_selection_links&search_site_no=06023000&agency_cd=USGS&amp;referred_module=sw|title = USGS Surface Water data for Montana: USGS Surface-Water Annual Statistics}}</ref> 
  | basin_size        = [[Snowcrest Range]] and [[Gravelly Range]]
  | river_system      = [[Missouri River]]
  | tributaries_left  =
  | tributaries_right =
}}
[[Image:ConfluenceRubyBeaverheadRiver.jpg|thumb|right|Confluence of Ruby and Beaverhead rivers]]
[[File:Upper Ruby River, Beaverhead County, Montana.jpg|thumb|right|Upper Ruby River]]
[[File:Upper Ruby River Valley, Beaverhead County Montana.jpg|thumb|Upper Ruby River Valley]]
The '''Ruby River''' is a tributary of the [[Beaverhead River]], approximately 76&nbsp;mi (122&nbsp;km) long, in southwestern [[Montana]] in the [[United States]]. It rises in the [[Beaverhead National Forest]] in southwestern [[Madison County, Montana|Madison County]]  between the [[Snowcrest Range]] and the [[Gravelly Range]]. It flows north through the [[Ruby River Reservoir]], past [[Alder, Montana|Alder]], then northwest, flowing between the [[Tobacco Root Mountains]] to the northeast and the [[Ruby Range (Montana)|Ruby Range]] to the southwest. It joins the Beaverhead near [[Twin Bridges, Montana|Twin Bridges]]. The Beaverhead becomes the [[Jefferson River]] 2&nbsp;mi (3.2&nbsp;km) downstream where it joins the [[Big Hole River]].

The river has also been known by these various names: Pah-mamar-roi, Pak-sam-ma-oi, Pashmaroi, Passamari, Philanthropy River, Stinking Water Creek, Stinking Water River, Stinkingwater River.<ref name=gnis/> 
 
The Ruby is a Class II river for stream access for recreational purposes.<ref name=StreamAccess>[http://fwp.mt.gov/content/getItem.aspx?id=24929 Stream Access in Montana] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090310102406/http://fwp.mt.gov/content/getItem.aspx?id=24929 |date=2009-03-10 }}</ref>

== Ruby River angling ==
The Ruby River provides excellent [[fly fishing]] for [[Fisherman|anglers]] despite some battles with [[whirling disease]] and a massive [[fish kill]] in the lower stretches in 1994.

The upper stretch of the river, above Ruby Reservoir, has excellent fly fishing for [[Rainbow trout|rainbows]], [[Westslope cutthroat trout|cutthroats]] and [[Arctic grayling|grayling]]. The lower stretch of the river, below Ruby Dam, provides excellent [[brown trout]] fishing. The average size of browns runs between 10 and 14&nbsp;inches, with some fish reaching 18–20&nbsp;inches. Because of limited access, fishing pressure on the lower river varies. Along private stretches, the river is rarely fished. Most of the angling is done at the few state access sites below the dam. This can cause significant crowding along those stretches, especially during the summer months.<ref>[http://montanatrout.com/ruby-river-fly-fishing Ruby River Fly Fishing]</ref>

===Seyler Lane access litigation===
In 2004, the Montana Public Land and Water Access Association (PLWAA) sued Madison County over access to the Ruby river via the Seyler Lane bridge south of Twin Bridges.  Landowner [[James C. Kennedy|James Cox Kennedy]] who had recently purchased the property was denying access to recreationalists via the Seyler Lane bridge.  The litigation was finally resolved in 2014 when the [[Montana Supreme Court]] ruled in favor of the PLAWAA that there was an historic [[Easement#Easement by prescription|prescriptive easement]] at the bridge for recreational access.  The litigation is a key milestone in [[Montana Stream Access Law|Montana's Stream Access Law]].<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/environment/supreme-court-upholds-access-in-ruby-river-case/article_e7cab672-7efc-11e3-856e-001a4bcf887a.html |title=Supreme Court upholds access in Ruby River case |publisher=Bozemancronicle.com |date=February 2022 }}</ref>

==See also==

{{portal|Montana}}
*[[List of rivers of Montana]]
*[[Montana Stream Access Law]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Commons category|Ruby River}}

{{Montana}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Rivers of Montana]]
[[Category:Tributaries of the Beaverhead River]]
[[Category:Bodies of water of Madison County, Montana]]