Hex

Hexagenia limbata

Also called Giant Michigan Mayfly, Hexagenia, Michigan Caddis (misnomer), Fishfly.

Michigan's biggest hatch and the last of the Au Sable's Big Five: 4-8 duns emerging in the dark from silt banks on muggy nights from about 10 pm, with spinner falls one to three nights after the first duns. Peak on the Au Sable Holy Water is June 20-28 (Mio Trophy Water is the classic Hex water), Manistee June 25-July 5, Pere Marquette June 10-25, Muskegon tailwater June 8-20, and the U.P. two to three weeks later (Superior Flies peak July 5-21). Fish a Hex dun or spinner such as Robert's Yellow Drake, McCoy's All Day Dun or a Boondoggle Hex on a short 6-foot 2X leader, and a Hex wiggle nymph or Spring Wiggler year-round; trout in prime habitat may see up to 2,000 nymphs a day outside the hatch. Watch water temperature from June 10 and expect the hatch within days once the Au Sable holds 62-65 F.

#4–8dusknightnymphemergerdunspinnerpale yellow to cream body with reddish-brown markingsyellow-orange egg mass (female)mottled gray-brown wingpale tan burrowing nymph with dark wing cases

Hex (Hexagenia limbata) — © Joshua Liverman · CC BY · iNaturalist · Newport, MI · 2023

© Patrick Hanly · CC BY · iNaturalist · East Jordan, MI 49727 · 2019
Brighton Lee · CC0 · iNaturalist · · 2026
© Philip Stepnowski · CC BY · iNaturalist · Eaton County, US-MI · 2019
© Jacob Saucier · CC BY · iNaturalist · Garfield Township, MI · 2021
© Rob Foster · CC BY · iNaturalist · Thunder Bay District, ON · 2018

Timing by region

Southeast Lower Peninsula
1. J
2. F
3. M
4. A
5. M
6. J
7. J
8. A
9. S
10. O
11. N
12. D
Window
May 27 – Jun 26
Peak
Jun 7 – Jun 23
Southwest Lower Peninsula
1. J
2. F
3. M
4. A
5. M
6. J
7. J
8. A
9. S
10. O
11. N
12. D
Window
May 31 – Jun 30
Peak
Jun 11 – Jun 27
Northeast Lower Peninsula
1. J
2. F
3. M
4. A
5. M
6. J
7. J
8. A
9. S
10. O
11. N
12. D
Window
Jun 10 – Jul 10
Peak
Jun 21 – Jul 7
Northwest Lower Peninsula
1. J
2. F
3. M
4. A
5. M
6. J
7. J
8. A
9. S
10. O
11. N
12. D
Window
Jun 10 – Jul 10
Peak
Jun 21 – Jul 7
Upper Peninsula
1. J
2. F
3. M
4. A
5. M
6. J
7. J
8. A
9. S
10. O
11. N
12. D
Window
Jul 1 – Jul 31
Peak
Jul 12 – Jul 28
Au Sable River (Holy Waters and Main Stream to McMasters)local chart
1. J
2. F
3. M
4. A
5. M
6. J
7. J
8. A
9. S
10. O
11. N
12. D
Window
Jun 10 – Jul 10
Peak
Jun 20 – Jun 28
Au Sable River below Mio (Trophy Water to Alcona)local chart
1. J
2. F
3. M
4. A
5. M
6. J
7. J
8. A
9. S
10. O
11. N
12. D
Window
Jun 10 – Jul 10
Peak
Jun 20 – Jun 30
Big Manistee River below Tippy Damlocal chart
1. J
2. F
3. M
4. A
5. M
6. J
7. J
8. A
9. S
10. O
11. N
12. D
Window
Jun 15 – Jul 15
Peak
Jun 25 – Jul 5
Pere Marquette Riverlocal chart
1. J
2. F
3. M
4. A
5. M
6. J
7. J
8. A
9. S
10. O
11. N
12. D
Window
Jun 2 – Jul 2
Peak
Jun 10 – Jun 25
Muskegon River below Croton Damlocal chart
1. J
2. F
3. M
4. A
5. M
6. J
7. J
8. A
9. S
10. O
11. N
12. D
Window
May 29 – Jun 28
Peak
Jun 8 – Jun 20
Huron River (Proud Lake, Ann Arbor, Flat Rock)local chart
1. J
2. F
3. M
4. A
5. M
6. J
7. J
8. A
9. S
10. O
11. N
12. D
Window
Jun 1 – Jul 31
Peak
—
Two Hearted Riverlocal chart
1. J
2. F
3. M
4. A
5. M
6. J
7. J
8. A
9. S
10. O
11. N
12. D
Window
Jun 24 – Jul 24
Peak
Jul 5 – Jul 21
Fox River (Seney)local chart
1. J
2. F
3. M
4. A
5. M
6. J
7. J
8. A
9. S
10. O
11. N
12. D
Window
Jun 24 – Jul 24
Peak
Jul 5 – Jul 21
Escanaba Riverlocal chart
1. J
2. F
3. M
4. A
5. M
6. J
7. J
8. A
9. S
10. O
11. N
12. D
Window
Jul 1 – Aug 31
Peak
—
Ontonagon Riverlocal chart
1. J
2. F
3. M
4. A
5. M
6. J
7. J
8. A
9. S
10. O
11. N
12. D
Window
Jun 24 – Jul 24
Peak
Jul 5 – Jul 21
St. Marys River (Sault rapids)local chart
1. J
2. F
3. M
4. A
5. M
6. J
7. J
8. A
9. S
10. O
11. N
12. D
Window
Jul 1 – Jul 31
Peak
Jul 10 – Jul 20

Region	Months	Window	Peak
Southeast Lower Peninsula	J F M A M J J A S O N D	May 27 – Jun 26	Jun 7 – Jun 23
Southwest Lower Peninsula	J F M A M J J A S O N D	May 31 – Jun 30	Jun 11 – Jun 27
Northeast Lower Peninsula	J F M A M J J A S O N D	Jun 10 – Jul 10	Jun 21 – Jul 7
Northwest Lower Peninsula	J F M A M J J A S O N D	Jun 10 – Jul 10	Jun 21 – Jul 7
Upper Peninsula	J F M A M J J A S O N D	Jul 1 – Jul 31	Jul 12 – Jul 28
Au Sable River (Holy Waters and Main Stream to McMasters)local chart	J F M A M J J A S O N D	Jun 10 – Jul 10	Jun 20 – Jun 28
Au Sable River below Mio (Trophy Water to Alcona)local chart	J F M A M J J A S O N D	Jun 10 – Jul 10	Jun 20 – Jun 30
Big Manistee River below Tippy Damlocal chart	J F M A M J J A S O N D	Jun 15 – Jul 15	Jun 25 – Jul 5
Pere Marquette Riverlocal chart	J F M A M J J A S O N D	Jun 2 – Jul 2	Jun 10 – Jun 25
Muskegon River below Croton Damlocal chart	J F M A M J J A S O N D	May 29 – Jun 28	Jun 8 – Jun 20
Huron River (Proud Lake, Ann Arbor, Flat Rock)local chart	J F M A M J J A S O N D	Jun 1 – Jul 31	—
Two Hearted Riverlocal chart	J F M A M J J A S O N D	Jun 24 – Jul 24	Jul 5 – Jul 21
Fox River (Seney)local chart	J F M A M J J A S O N D	Jun 24 – Jul 24	Jul 5 – Jul 21
Escanaba Riverlocal chart	J F M A M J J A S O N D	Jul 1 – Aug 31	—
Ontonagon Riverlocal chart	J F M A M J J A S O N D	Jun 24 – Jul 24	Jul 5 – Jul 21
St. Marys River (Sault rapids)local chart	J F M A M J J A S O N D	Jul 1 – Jul 31	Jul 10 – Jul 20

Flies that match

Bench photo coming

Roberts Yellow Drake

Dry fly#4–18Yellow (deer-hair body)Yellow tied large for Hex

Grayling's all-purpose pale mayfly, an extended deer-hair body under a parachute post, sized #4 through #18 to cover Sulphurs, Cahills, Brown Drakes and the Hex. Hawkins names a large Roberts Yellow Drake as a Hex dun and spinner; fish it after dark in late June on a short 6 ft 2X leader. Every Au Sable shop stocks it.

Dry fly

Reserve · $3.00

Reference photo

McCoy's All Day Dun (Hex)

Dry fly#4–8Pale yellow with reddish-brown markings

A Hex dun named by Hawkins for the giant Michigan mayfly, which emerges after dark once water reaches 68 F, peaking June 21 to July 7 on the Au Sable and Manistee (June 8 to 20 on the Muskegon, two to three weeks later in the U.P.). Fish it from 10 pm on a 6 ft 2X leader over silt banks, casting to the sound of rises.

Dry fly

Reserve · $3.00

Reference photo

Hex Spinner

Dry fly#4–8Yellow body, clear or gray wingsDark Hex

Hex spinners fall shortly after dark one to three nights after the duns emerge, and the spent-wing pattern is what the largest browns eat once the flat is covered in dead bugs. Fish a #4 to #8 spinner from about 10:30 pm on Au Sable, Manistee and Pere Marquette silt flats in late June and early July.

Dry fly

Reserve · $3.00

Reference photo

Hex Nymph (Wiggler)

Nymph#4–10Natural tan-yellowBear's Hex NymphSchultzy's Rabbit Hexum+1

Current Works' number one Michigan steelhead fly, because most steelhead rivers (Muskegon, Manistee, Pere Marquette, Au Sable, St. Marys) hold silt-burrowing Hexagenia and trout may see up to 2,000 nymphs a day outside the hatch. Fish #6 to #8 under an indicator or chuck-and-duck year-round for steelhead, in the two weeks before the June hatch for trout, and in July for St. Marys Atlantic salmon.

Indicator nymphing · Chuck and duck · Euro / tight-line nymphing

Reserve · $2.75

Reference photo

Spring Wiggler

Nymph#6–10Yellow chenille with fox squirrelOrangeChartreuse

A yellow chenille and fox squirrel Hex nymph that has been a Michigan steelhead fly for more than fifty years. Schrems West Michigan TU calls it effective year-round and especially in winter on the Muskegon. Dead-drift it on the bottom in runs below gravel; the bright variants double as an attractor in stained water.

Indicator nymphing · Chuck and duck

Reserve · $2.75

Reference photo

Boondoggle Hex

Dry fly#4–8YellowDark Hex (late season)

Ed McCoy's high-floating Hex pattern, recommended by Hawkins alongside the All Day Dun and a large Roberts Yellow Drake. It rides through the chop of a night rise and is easy to track by sound and feel. Fish it during the late June to mid July Hex window on the Au Sable, Manistee, Pere Marquette and Rifle.

Dry fly

Reserve · $3.00

Bench photo coming

Rabbit Wiggle Nymph

Nymph#6–10TanOliveBlack

Chuck Hawkins' choice for turbid spring water, an articulated rabbit-strip Hex nymph whose tail moves when the fish cannot see far. Fish it under an indicator during runoff in March and April on the Manistee and Betsie, and again in high fall water.

Indicator nymphing · Chuck and duck

Reserve · $2.75

Reference photo

Feenstra's Australian Possum Hex

Nymph#6–10Dirty yellow and brown

An articulated Hexagenia nymph from Feenstra's favorites: a size 10 rear hook of possum tufts and dirty yellow dubbing joined by 20 lb mono to a size 6 front hook with mono eyes, a brown hen-hackle leg pull and an Antron shellback. The wiggle of the two hooks does what a burrowing Hex nymph does in the drift. Spring steelhead on the Muskegon eat Hex nymphs, and it stays in play for browns through the July hatch.

Indicator nymphing · Euro / tight-line nymphing · Chuck and duck

Reserve · $2.75