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Dolomedes tenebrosus
This was definitely the largest spider I've seen in the wilds of Michigan. It is hard to get an approximate size just from my photos, but seeing up close and personal, I can say, with certainty, that it was at least 3 inches in length, if not more. This spider was also much darker in color than other fishing spiders I've seen, most notably, the Six-spotted Fishing Spider.
I found this large spider clung to some vegetation, about 18-24 inches off the ground, alongside a woodland trail. There was some nursery web, as can be see in the photos... and the closest water source was a small creek about 10 yards away.
According to Spiders.us, http://www.spiders.us/species/dolomedes-..., "This is a spider of deciduous forests. Despite the moniker of “fishing spider,” this particular species is frequently found far from water. Look for the spiders waiting motionless in ambush on tree trunks, fenceposts, walls, and other vertical surfaces, mostly at night. This is a powerful hunting spider that does not spin a prey-catching snare. Females will, however, construct a tangled “nursery web” among foliage where they will suspend their egg sac and guard the emerging spiderlings Prey is composed of large insects and even small vertebrates that the spider can overpower. This includes small fish (e.g. minnows) and various aquatic insects when this spider hangs out near bodies of water."
Spotted on Jul 31, 2015
Submitted on Aug 11, 2015
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