diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index fb07c8c..a745f55 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@
 
 ### Internal changes
 
+- Avoid using the private `_hatch_color` property and use `set_hatchcolor` and `get_hatchcolor` instead in matplotlib
+  versions where they are available ([#161](https://github.com/mpytools/mplotutils/pull/161)).
 - Consolidate package metadata and configuration in *pyproject.toml*   ([#165](https://github.com/mpytools/mplotutils/pull/165)).
 - Replace deprecated `matplotlib.rcsetup.all_backends` with `matplotlib.backends.backend_registry.list_builtin()`
   ([#160](https://github.com/mpytools/mplotutils/pull/160)).
diff --git a/mplotutils/_hatch.py b/mplotutils/_hatch.py
index 7e75642..4e4a234 100644
--- a/mplotutils/_hatch.py
+++ b/mplotutils/_hatch.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 from mplotutils._mpl import _maybe_gca
 
 MPL_GE_310 = Version(Version(mpl.__version__).base_version) >= Version("3.10")
+MPL_GE_311 = Version(Version(mpl.__version__).base_version) >= Version("3.11")
 
 
 def hatch(da, hatch, *, ax=None, label=None, linewidth=None, color="0.1"):
@@ -225,11 +226,16 @@ def _hatch(
             label=label,
         )
 
-        # NOTE: manually overwrites the private _hatch_color property - allows to have
-        # different ec and hatch color (so the box of the legend is black)
-        empty_legend_patch._hatch_color = mpl.colors.to_rgba(
-            mpl.rcParams["hatch.color"]
-        )
+        hatch_color = mpl.colors.to_rgba(mpl.rcParams["hatch.color"])
+
+        if not MPL_GE_311:
+            # NOTE: manually overwrites the private _hatch_color property - allows to
+            # have different ec and hatch color (so the box of the legend is black)
+            empty_legend_patch._hatch_color = hatch_color
+        else:
+            # TODO: is  this still needed in MPL_GE_311?
+            empty_legend_patch.set_hatchcolor(hatch_color)
+
         ax.add_patch(empty_legend_patch)
 
     if cyclic:
diff --git a/mplotutils/tests/test_hatch.py b/mplotutils/tests/test_hatch.py
index cb41c51..a210dd5 100644
--- a/mplotutils/tests/test_hatch.py
+++ b/mplotutils/tests/test_hatch.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 from . import assert_no_warnings, subplots_context
 
 MPL_GE_310 = Version(Version(mpl.__version__).base_version) >= Version("3.10")
+MPL_GE_311 = Version(Version(mpl.__version__).base_version) >= Version("3.11")
 requires_mpl_ge_310 = pytest.mark.skipif(not MPL_GE_310, reason="requires mpl >= 3.10")
 
 
@@ -20,6 +21,13 @@
 )
 
 
+def get_hatchcolor(h):
+    if MPL_GE_311:
+        return mpl.colors.to_rgba(h.get_hatchcolor())
+
+    return h._hatch_color
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("obj", (None, xr.Dataset(), np.array([])))
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("function", HATCH_FUNCTIONS)
 def test_hatch_not_a_dataarray(obj, function):
@@ -91,7 +99,7 @@ def test_hatch_label(function):
         (rect,) = h
 
         assert rect.get_label() == "label"
-        assert mpl.colors.to_rgba("0.1") == rect._hatch_color
+        assert mpl.colors.to_rgba("0.1") == get_hatchcolor(rect)
 
     # test 2 labels with non-default color
     with subplots_context(1, 1, subplot_kw=subplot_kw) as (__, ax):
@@ -106,7 +114,7 @@ def test_hatch_label(function):
 
         for i, rect in enumerate(h):
             assert rect.get_label() == f"label{i}"
-            assert mpl.colors.to_rgba("#2ca25f") == rect._hatch_color
+            assert mpl.colors.to_rgba("#2ca25f") == get_hatchcolor(rect)
 
 
 @pytest.mark.skipif(MPL_GE_310, reason="only for mpl < 3.10")
@@ -215,16 +223,16 @@ def test_hatch_color(function):
     with subplots_context(1, 1, subplot_kw=subplot_kw) as (__, ax):
         h = function(da, "*", ax=ax)
 
-        assert mpl.colors.to_rgba("0.1") == h._hatch_color
+        assert mpl.colors.to_rgba("0.1") == get_hatchcolor(h)
 
     # different colors can be set
     with subplots_context(1, 1, subplot_kw=subplot_kw) as (__, ax):
 
         h = function(da, "*", ax=ax, color="#2ca25f")
-        assert mpl.colors.to_rgba("#2ca25f") == h._hatch_color
+        assert mpl.colors.to_rgba("#2ca25f") == get_hatchcolor(h)
 
         h = function(da, "*", ax=ax, color="#e5f5f9")
-        assert mpl.colors.to_rgba("#e5f5f9") == h._hatch_color
+        assert mpl.colors.to_rgba("#e5f5f9") == get_hatchcolor(h)
 
 
 def test_hatch_bbox():