Pennsylvania mammals

Fisher in Pennsylvania

Pekania pennanti

Native to Pennsylvania S5 Secure in Pennsylvania

Not listed as nonindigenous in Pennsylvania by USGS NAS; native to its Pennsylvania range.

IUCN Red List status

NE – Not Evaluated

Not yet assessed against IUCN Red List criteria.

Martes PennantiLive fisher clambering head-down on a tree trunk in summer foliageFisher (Pekania pennanti)
Photo: Matthew Zalewski · CC BY-SA 4.0Martes PennantiPhoto: christine123 · CC BY 4.0Live fisher clambering head-down on a tree trunk in summer foliagePhoto: David Weisenbeck · CC BY 4.0Fisher (Pekania pennanti)

Fisher in Pennsylvania, by the numbers

Occasional in Pennsylvania 27th most recorded of 77 mammals logged in Pennsylvania

200 occurrence records
196 with iNaturalist photos

Records from 2000–2026.

200 total records count every Pennsylvania occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the map plots a georeferenced sample of 196; the monthly chart covers the 196 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the Fisher in Pennsylvania

Most sightings fall in January to February.

196 Pennsylvania occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) by month of year, 2000–2026. Shows when the species is recorded, not a guarantee of presence.

Monthly Pennsylvania records (table)
MonthRecords
January31
February33
March14
April26
May12
June22
July8
August9
September4
October8
November11
December18

Monthly fisher occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) in Pennsylvania, 2000–2026.

Seasonality

Year-round in Pennsylvania, with recorded sightings peaking in January–February, with a smaller rise in April and June.

Occurrence map

Where Fisher has been recorded in Pennsylvania

196 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

194 Pennsylvania records mapped

Where it's recorded in Pennsylvania

CountyRecords
Clarion County 79
Venango County 23
Monroe County 13
Centre County 9
Luzerne County 9
Carbon County 4
Huntingdon County 4
Lackawanna County 3
Elk County 3
Clinton County 3
Armstrong County 3
Warren County 3
25 other counties 44

The complete county distribution, spread across 37 Pennsylvania counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

Pennsylvania fisher records join the connected mountain forest of Delaware Water Gap to wooded land around northern lakes. Pymatuning offers broader reservoir forest, whereas a Presque Isle record may capture an animal moving through a narrow, busy strip of cover.

Records peak in January and February and rise again in June. Snow can preserve winter tracks and long summer days create more sighting opportunities, so neither crest measures how many fishers occupy a region.

Occurrence data from iNaturalist and GBIF.

Fisher in other states

Martes Pennanti
Full species profile Fisher Pekania pennanti Size 75–95 cm2.5–3.1 ft Weight 3.5–6 kg7.7–13.2 lb Lifespan 7 yr View the full profile

More mammals in Pennsylvania in the atlas

Data & sources

The data and visualizations on this page draw on these open sources:

  • GBIFCC-BY 4.0occurrence records behind the range map, elevation, and record counts
  • iNaturalistCC0 / CC-BY / CC-BY-SAobservations, photos, and audio recordings
  • NatureServe ExplorerCC-BYthe state conservation rank
  • IUCN Red Listattributed factthe global conservation status
  • USGS NASpublic domainnative / introduced status
  • Natural Earthpublic domainthe relief basemap
  • USFSpublic domainnational-forest boundaries