She was launched on 16 January 1971, sponsored by Miss Mary Conover Warner, and commissioned at her home port, New London, Connecticut, on 17 December 1971.

Following her commissioning, Archerfish proceeded to Newport, Rhode Island, in late January 1972 and then to the Caribbean Sea for shakedown training.

From 5 to 15 June 1972, Archerfish participated in North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Exercise "Pink Lace" in the mid-Atlantic Ocean.

On 5 September 1972, she began post-shakedown repairs and alterations in the Electric Boat Division shipyard at Groton, where she received extensive modifications and new equipment.

Archerfish got underway again in August 1973, bound for the Bahama Islands to participate in Atlantic Submarine Exercise KILO 1–74.

She provided services in support of a special project under the direction of the Chief of Naval Operations in the western Atlantic Ocean during the last half of September 1973.

She then traveled to a testing range off the Bahamas, held torpedo certification trials, and arrived at New London on 12 October 1973 for extensive training in preparation for her second overseas deployment.

Archerfish departed New London for the Bahamas once again on 9 September 1974 to participate in Atlantic Submarine Exercise KILO 1–75.

From 5 to 18 November 1974, she participated in Submarine Antisubmarine Warfare Exercise 1–75 and then returned to New London for a period of leave and upkeep.

She then took part in Operation Agate Punch, which involved the development and utilization of tactics in direct support of other ships of the United States Atlantic Fleet, from 14 to 28 April 1975.

During the summer months of 1975, Archerfish carried out a deployment in the western Atlantic Ocean, which also included a port call at Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

After a period of holiday leave and upkeep and the end of 1975 and beginning of 1976, Archerfish took part in Submarine Antisubmarine Warfare Exercise 1–76 in February 1976 before commencing a deployment to the North Atlantic Ocean in March 1976.

During her cruise there she traveled over 9,000 nautical miles (17,000 km) under the polar ice cap and surfaced through it 23 times, once at the North Pole.

On 23 January 1980, Archerfish got underway to take part in RANGEX 1–80, a multi-ship antisubmarine warfare exercise held in the Atlantic Ocean.

Her scrapping via the U.S. Navy's Nuclear-Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington, was completed on 6 November 1998.