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Eastern Fishing Spider

Dolomedes scriptus

Spider or relative · family Pisauridae · order Araneae

  1. G1
    Critically imperiled
  2. G2
    Imperiled
  3. G3
    Vulnerable
  4. G4
    Apparently secure
  5. G5
    Secure

NatureServe global rank G5: secure[2].

Updated October 30, 2026. Published by Humblebee.

Eastern Fishing Spider
Photo: Er1kksen, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Endangered Species Act
Not listed[1]
NatureServe global rank
G5 Secure[2]
Native in
5 states[3]

The Eastern Fishing Spider (Dolomedes scriptus) is a spider in the family Pisauridae[4]. NatureServe ranks it G5 (Secure) worldwide, and it is not listed under the US Endangered Species Act[2][1].

Conservation status

NatureServe gives the Eastern Fishing Spider a global rank of G5, which it labels Secure[2]. The US Fish and Wildlife Service data show it is not listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act[1]. That means it has no federal listing.

Status Value
Endangered Species Act[1] Not listed
NatureServe global rank[2] G5 (Secure)

Where Eastern Fishing Spider lives

NatureServe lists this spider as native in 5 US states: Colorado, Indiana, South Carolina, West Virginia and Wyoming[3]. The page table shows its NatureServe state ranks[5]. People have posted the most online observation records from New York, Pennsylvania, Maine, Ohio and Minnesota[6]. Those counts follow where people look and report, not where the spider is most numerous[6].

Alaska: not recordedAKMaine: not recordedMEWisconsin: not recordedWIVermont: not recordedVTNew Hampshire: not recordedNHWashington: not recordedWAIdaho: not recordedIDMontana: not recordedMTNorth Dakota: not recordedNDMinnesota: not recordedMNIllinois: not recordedILMichigan: not recordedMINew York: not recordedNYMassachusetts: not recordedMAOregon: not recordedORNevada: not recordedNVWyoming: native, state rank SNRWYSouth Dakota: not recordedSDIowa: not recordedIAIndiana: native, state rank S1INOhio: not recordedOHPennsylvania: not recordedPANew Jersey: not recordedNJConnecticut: not recordedCTRhode Island: not recordedRICalifornia: not recordedCAUtah: not recordedUTColorado: native, state rank SNRCONebraska: not recordedNEMissouri: not recordedMOKentucky: not recordedKYWest Virginia: native, state rank SNRWVVirginia: not recordedVAMaryland: not recordedMDDelaware: not recordedDEArizona: not recordedAZNew Mexico: not recordedNMKansas: not recordedKSArkansas: not recordedARTennessee: not recordedTNNorth Carolina: not recordedNCSouth Carolina: native, state rank SNRSCDistrict of Columbia: not recordedDCOklahoma: not recordedOKLouisiana: not recordedLAMississippi: not recordedMSAlabama: not recordedALGeorgia: not recordedGAHawaii: not recordedHITexas: not recordedTXFlorida: not recordedFLPuerto Rico: not recordedPR
State presence as recorded by NatureServe[5].
Show state ranks (5 states)
StateRankMeaning
ColoradoSNRNot Ranked
IndianaS1Critically Imperiled
South CarolinaSNRNot Ranked
West VirginiaSNRNot Ranked
WyomingSNRNot Ranked

When to look for it

Online observation records of this spider in the United States are highest in June, July and August[7]. July is the month with the most records[7]. Records are very low from November to February[7]. These counts show when people look and report, not how many spiders there are[7].

January: 7 recordsJanFebruary: 12 recordsFebMarch: 95 recordsMarApril: 257 recordsAprMay: 425 recordsMayJune: 900 recordsJunJuly: 1,172 recordsJulAugust: 1,048 recordsAugSeptember: 809 recordsSepOctober: 244 recordsOctNovember: 43 recordsNovDecember: 9 recordsDec
US observation records on GBIF by month, all years. The three months with the most records are highlighted. Records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[7].
Show records by month
MonthRecords
January7
February12
March95
April257
May425
June900
July1,172
August1,048
September809
October244
November43
December9

Where to see it

States with the most GBIF observation records: New York, Pennsylvania, Maine, Ohio, Minnesota[6]. These counts follow where people look and report, not population size.

Questions people ask

Is the Eastern Fishing Spider endangered?
No. It is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act[1]. NatureServe ranks it G5 (Secure) globally[2].
Where does the Eastern Fishing Spider live?
NatureServe lists it as native in Colorado, Indiana, South Carolina, West Virginia and Wyoming[3]. Online records come most often from New York, Pennsylvania, Maine, Ohio and Minnesota[6].
When is the Eastern Fishing Spider seen most often?
Online records peak in June, July and August[7]. These records reflect when people look and report[7].

Facts and sources

  1. Eastern Fishing Spider is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in USFWS ECOS data (checked 2026-10-30). USFWS ECOS
  2. NatureServe global conservation status rank for Eastern Fishing Spider: G5 (Secure). NatureServe Explorer
  3. NatureServe lists Eastern Fishing Spider as native in 5 US states and territories: Colorado, Indiana, South Carolina, West Virginia, Wyoming. NatureServe Explorer
  4. Eastern Fishing Spider (Dolomedes scriptus) is a spider or relative in the family Pisauridae, order Araneae. NatureServe Explorer
  5. NatureServe state ranks for Eastern Fishing Spider (map and table on this page). NatureServe Explorer
  6. US states with the most GBIF observation records of Eastern Fishing Spider: New York, Pennsylvania, Maine, Ohio, Minnesota. Record counts follow observer effort, not population size. GBIF
  7. GBIF observation records of Eastern Fishing Spider in the US by month (chart on this page). GBIF

Status, range and habitat come from NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0) and USFWS ECOS at the snapshot date. Listings change by federal rule. State lists are where NatureServe records the species, not a promise that you will see it there. Never name a place smaller than a state. GBIF and park records count observations and checklists. They show where and when people report the species, not how many animals live there.

NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: October 30, 2026). Licensed under CC BY 4.0; SpeciesFacts selected and summarized it.

Photo: Er1kksen, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.