Best Time to See Copperheads in the US
May, June and July is the best time to see copperheads in the United States. This is a national picture built from 25,397 verified iNaturalist observations across 27 states, showing when and where copperheads are most active.
By Tim, founder of Easy Street Markets. I maintain the wildlife database and verify every animal and source myself.
25,397 verified observations of copperheads in the US, recorded across 12 months of the year on iNaturalist.
When copperheads are recorded in the US
Peak month
May
4,715 records (18.6% of the year)
| Month | Observations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| January | 123 | 0.5% |
| February | 210 | 0.8% |
| March | 943 | 3.7% |
| April | 3,276 | 12.9% |
| Maypeak | 4,715 | 18.6% |
| Junepeak | 3,840 | 15.1% |
| Julypeak | 3,736 | 14.7% |
| August | 2,517 | 9.9% |
| September | 3,554 | 14% |
| October | 1,921 | 7.6% |
| November | 426 | 1.7% |
| December | 136 | 0.5% |
Copperheads you are most likely to see
| Species | Verified observations |
|---|---|
| Eastern Copperhead | 25,397 |
Across the country, copperheads sightings peak in May, when 4,715 of the 25,397 annual observations are logged, about 18.6% of the national total. Nationwide activity stays high through May, June and July.
The best states to see copperheads by recorded sightings are Texas (6,024), North Carolina (4,448), Virginia (2,207), Georgia (1,578) and Tennessee (1,501). Each state page below breaks the year down month by month for that state.
The copperheads you are most likely to encounter nationwide are Eastern Copperhead, the most-recorded species across all states combined.
Best states to see copperheads
- copperheads in Texas6,024 sightings, peak April
- copperheads in North Carolina4,448 sightings, peak May
- copperheads in Virginia2,207 sightings, peak June
- copperheads in Georgia1,578 sightings, peak May
- copperheads in Tennessee1,501 sightings, peak July
- copperheads in South Carolina1,325 sightings, peak May
- copperheads in Kentucky991 sightings, peak July
- copperheads in Alabama901 sightings, peak May
- copperheads in Kansas871 sightings, peak September
- copperheads in Arkansas861 sightings, peak May
- copperheads in Missouri749 sightings, peak May
- copperheads in Maryland733 sightings, peak June
- copperheads in Louisiana527 sightings, peak April
- copperheads in Pennsylvania416 sightings, peak June
- copperheads in Illinois410 sightings, peak October
Most-recorded copperheads species nationwide
- Eastern Copperhead25,397 records
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to see copperheads in the US?+
May is the single best month nationwide, with the broader peak running through May, June and July, based on 25,397 verified observations across 27 states.
Which states are best for seeing copperheads?+
By recorded sightings, the top states are Texas, North Carolina and Virginia. Texas leads with 6,024 verified observations.
How many copperheads sightings are recorded in the US each year?+
About 25,397 verified copperheads observations are logged on iNaturalist across 27 states with enough data to chart a seasonal pattern.
What kinds of copperheads live in the US?+
The most-recorded species nationwide are Eastern Copperhead, based on all-time iNaturalist counts.