Mayflies?

  • buckybadger
    Upper Midwest
    Posts: 7323
    June 20, 2022 at 9:34 pm #2130981

    Anyone noted any large hatches on Pools 2-5?

    …no, not midges. Actual Mayflies.

    I’ve got some buddies who rarely get to the area (once every few years) hoping to fish Wednesday with me in a few boats. I feel moderately confident about a plan of action, unless of course a big hatch happens between now and then.

    As always, if anyone wants to swap ideas/reports…shoot me a PM. Fish were really on the chew this weekend. Crawlers have been kicking a$$ moreso than I ever remember. Cranks have brought steady action, but smaller fish on my outings lately.

    Lou W
    Posts: 190
    June 21, 2022 at 4:19 am #2130997

    Can’t speak to the Miss river but up in Walker I’ve seen no mayflies. Two nights ago a neighbor thought he saw some on Traders Bay on Leech.

    BoatsHateMe
    Between Pool 2 and Pool 4
    Posts: 782
    June 21, 2022 at 6:23 am #2131001

    Maybe we won’t have any this year. That or it’ll be the worst season ever. Like everything else this year we live in the extremes.

    Steve Root
    South St. Paul, MN
    Posts: 5487
    June 21, 2022 at 7:47 am #2131010

    I saw a few Small Mayflies hanging onto a gas pump last week up near Aitkin. Not the big Hexagina flies but smaller ones, probably Calibaetis.

    On the lake all I saw was little Caddis flies.

    SR

    Brian Klawitter
    Keymaster
    Minnesota/Wisconsin Mississippi River
    Posts: 59944
    June 21, 2022 at 7:56 am #2131013

    Yes Caddis were thick on the St Croix last weekend.
    I’ve heard reports of large hex hatches at Keokuk (L&D 15) but haven’t seen a one in Red Wing as of this morning.

    My favorite photos from 1999 at L&D #3…

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    gimruis
    Plymouth, MN
    Posts: 15017
    June 21, 2022 at 8:07 am #2131022

    OMG Brian that is just GROSS!

    Brian Klawitter
    Keymaster
    Minnesota/Wisconsin Mississippi River
    Posts: 59944
    June 21, 2022 at 11:01 am #2131085

    No no! Gross is the Youtube video of the guy eating them alive!

    suzuki
    Woodbury, Mn
    Posts: 18127
    June 21, 2022 at 11:59 am #2131097

    Been some smaller mayfly hatches in NW Wis last week. (Sulfurs, brown drake) My neighbor had some good trout fishing. I went Sunday night and it was a bust. Nothing hatching. Just my luck. If they get a hex hatch in the area I hope to hit it.

    tswoboda
    Posts: 7821
    June 21, 2022 at 12:15 pm #2131100
    Brian Klawitter wrote:

    No no! Gross is the Youtube video of the guy eating them alive!

    LOL a buddy I fish with eats a couple every night during the hatch.

    Brown Drakes have been popping the last week around here, but no big Hex yet.

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    Kirk Charipar
    west central wi
    Posts: 193
    June 21, 2022 at 4:28 pm #2131144

    We had mayflies in northwest wisconsin during Memorial Day Weekend. I have no idea what specie they were. Have not seen any on the Mississippi Pool 8 yet, but usually Fourth of July weekend is a good bet. Remember few years ago “the hatch” was picked up by weather radar__CRAZY!!!

    gimruis
    Plymouth, MN
    Posts: 15017
    June 21, 2022 at 4:32 pm #2131147

    Mayfly hatches and other bug hatches out of the water are actually a great sign that the water quality is good. They can’t hatch in polluted water.

    Buffalo Fishhead
    Posts: 298
    June 22, 2022 at 12:03 pm #2131309
    gimruis wrote:

    Mayfly hatches and other bug hatches out of the water are actually a great sign that the water quality is good. They can’t hatch in polluted water.

    Excellent point gimruis!!

    Buffalo Fishhead

    buschman
    Pool 2
    Posts: 1622
    June 22, 2022 at 2:22 pm #2131345

    Nothing here on P2 yet. Should be soon!

    Steve Root
    South St. Paul, MN
    Posts: 5487
    June 22, 2022 at 3:15 pm #2131347

    “Nothing here on P2 yet. Should be soon!”

    They were spectacular last year.

    SR

    buckybadger
    Upper Midwest
    Posts: 7323
    June 22, 2022 at 8:28 pm #2131396

    Nothing on Pool 4 that we saw evidence of today.

    There must’ve been a “hatch” of 24-32” pike though. It might have been the most I’ve ever dealt with in an outing.

    tswoboda
    Posts: 7821
    June 24, 2022 at 12:38 pm #2131661

    OK last try

    Doesn’t look like any of the videos worked so here’s a choppy screenshot – the yellow blurs are all Hex flies. It was ‘kill 20 flies on each cast’ kind of hatch

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    eyeguy507
    SE MN
    Posts: 4729
    June 24, 2022 at 3:48 pm #2131719

    i had a few on my boat down by wabasha but nothing crazy in the lake. the mosquitos were my main problem! had 2 different bottles of spray, a thermacell and a roaring fire and they were not even phased.

    Brian Klawitter
    Keymaster
    Minnesota/Wisconsin Mississippi River
    Posts: 59944
    July 22, 2022 at 9:51 am #2137034

    We had a small hatch at the Harbor Bar Wednesday night… but it was this morning that surprised me!

    After turning North from VV (purple palace) onto 35 I ran into the largest herd, flock, swarm of Mayflies this year. With corn fields on both sides! I had to be a mile from the river!

    Kwik Trip car wash after work tonight! tongue

    stevenoak
    Posts: 1713
    July 23, 2022 at 7:00 am #2137184

    My brothers camper on pool 13 Wednesday.

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