Humans have facilitated Orconectes rusticus’ rapid spread through much of the Laurentian Great Lakes watershed by releasing it into new habitats where it often displaces other crayfish. Because of the profound ecological changes caused by O. rusticus, it is important to understand how environmental factors such as temperature influences this mid-latitude species’ spread into higher latitudes. Laboratory studies showed that O. rusticus preferred warmer water than O. virilis and O. propinquus, and unlike O. virilis its preference was similar among animals collected from streams versus lakes. To investigate the hypothesis that O. rusticus prefers warm water habitats, we surveyed crayfish from 42 river and lake sites and measured summer water temperatures. Crayfish surveys revealed that co-occurrence was common as 2 or more species were found at 38% of sites. Orconectes rusticus co-occurred with congeners at 24% of sites, and was present in cool (13.5 C) and warm (25 C) sites (median temperature). No crayfish species were collected in the coldest spring-fed streams (≤11.5 C). We conclude that summer water temperatures serve no barrier to the invasion of O. rusticus however its preference for warmer temperatures and its competitive dominance may facilitate its rapid growth and continued displacement of O. virilis and O. propinquus, particularly in warmer water habitats.