What hatches in November: flies and patterns

4 entries in the Hatch Window curated chart are typically active in November, with the fly patterns that match each.

By water type

Tailwater: Midges, Blue-Winged Olive, Baitfish / sculpins (streamer season), Scuds & Sowbugs
Freestone: Midges, Blue-Winged Olive, Baitfish / sculpins (streamer season)
Spring creek: Midges, Blue-Winged Olive, Baitfish / sculpins (streamer season), Scuds & Sowbugs

Hatches and matching patterns

Midges

Chironomidae

Typical months: January to December. Water types: Tailwater, Freestone, Spring creek. Regions: Mountain West; Northeast (Catskills/Appalachians); Midwest (Driftless/Great Lakes); South (Southern Appalachians/Southeast tailwaters).

Zebra Midge (nymph, size 18-22)
Griffith's Gnat (dry, size 18-22)
Rojo Midge (nymph, size 20-24)

Year-round on tailwaters, most reliable hatch on cold winter days when little else is moving.

Blue-Winged Olive

Baetis spp.

Typical months: February to April, September to November. Water types: Tailwater, Freestone, Spring creek. Regions: Mountain West; Northeast (Catskills/Appalachians); Midwest (Driftless/Great Lakes); South (Southern Appalachians/Southeast tailwaters).

Parachute Adams (dry, size 16-20)
Pheasant Tail Nymph (nymph, size 16-20)
CDC BWO Sparkle Dun (emerger, size 18-20)

Best on overcast, drizzly spring and fall days; spring and fall are two distinct emergence windows.

Baitfish / sculpins (streamer season)

Typical months: March to April, October to November. Water types: Tailwater, Freestone, Spring creek. Regions: Mountain West; Northeast (Catskills/Appalachians); Midwest (Driftless/Great Lakes); South (Southern Appalachians/Southeast tailwaters).

Woolly Bugger (streamer, size 4-10)
Sculpzilla (streamer, size 2-6)

Not a hatch, fished when bugs are scarce and big fish are feeding aggressively (pre-runoff and fall, ahead of brown trout spawning).

Scuds & Sowbugs

Gammarus / Asellus spp.

Typical months: January to December. Water types: Tailwater, Spring creek. Regions: Mountain West; Northeast (Catskills/Appalachians); Midwest (Driftless/Great Lakes); South (Southern Appalachians/Southeast tailwaters).

Scud (olive/tan) (nymph, size 14-18)
Sowbug (nymph, size 14-18)

Not a hatch, a year-round staple on cold, stable tailwaters and spring creeks (the South Holston and Clinch in Tennessee, the Bighorn and San Juan out West, Pennsylvania limestoners, the Driftless Area) where crustaceans outnumber insects.

Browse the neighbouring months: October · December · all months.

Check local regulations. Seasons, gear rules, closures and access vary by water and change often. Check current regulations and conditions for the water you plan to fish, and carry a valid license.

About this page. Hatch timing varies by year, elevation and water temperature. Months here are typical ranges from the Hatch Window curated chart, a starting point and not a live report of what is hatching today. Hatch Window is a free fly-fishing companion app from Baker Ventures LLC with a built-in version of this chart, plus streamflow from USGS and weather from Open-Meteo. Data source: Hatch Window source files src/data/hatches.ts and src/data/spots.ts, commit c45001f.