Do otters spend much time in creeks that don't have fish. In my travels, I've seen a handful of streams that look like they'd be good for otter, but I don't notice any otters sign and they don't appear to be creeks that have a fish population.
I've been pondering whether some are worth setting.

Remember just because there's not many game fish in a creek dosent mean the r using a healthy carp or sucker population from what I've observed at otter toilets in my area they eat a lot of large scaled fish like carp. Look were small tributarys come in that's were I find most of my toilets is on the point

Well, around here while it seems the major part of the otter's diet consists of fish, I have also observed them eating, snails, turtles, crayfish, and frogs so if your streams contain these critters there is a good chance the otters will be using them from time to time.....maybe just not as often. They will also be using the streams to get from place to place in their travels.

If headed to other body of water it would be worth setting traps.

Around here..if water is flowing an otter will be thru there..

Of course, because they hunt rodents, crayfish, frogs, etc.....learned on the lil creek on our farm that only has some minnows...yet I catch otter yearly.

If there is no fish or crawfish, they will be poor set areas. Unless they connect with larger rivers or lakes, then they can be Otter hi ways. I would look at Google maps to see what that tells ya.

I filled my otter tag Wednesday. I got this 29 LB, 43" in a fully submerged Duke 330 blind channel set in this narrow but very deep creek. I plan on sending the pelt to Great Northern Fur, and keep it in my house when I get it back. GNF is quick.
They did my fisher last year. It was exciting to trap this otter in a spot that the average person might never think held an otter. My co-worker saw 1 in the area (this stream is on her farm in west central WI). Good thing it worked out: Season ends next week.

Congrats, waterways are like otter highways. It might take a while for them to travel back through the area but they will come.

This, and everywhere else up here. See them a long ways from water or in it. There is not much they won't eat, I saw where one was eating a grouse once. I do not think it caught it but it sure was chewing on it. Small creeks can hold duck nests with eggs, frogs, crawfish, etc and otters love all of it.

Osky

caught three males [one was 4 ft. 9 in] in a small creek in front of my house in Missouri.There used to be fish in the creek, but now there's not even any minnows to trap for bait. Look for slides and scat, otters are creatures of habit they will run the same path over and over. The best way I've found to catch otters in creeks is toilet sets, otters use the bathroom in the same spot, If you set a foot trap around the scat or in the trail they use your bound to catch one, just beware if you do catch one in a foothold that's not on a drowner cable they are vicious little critters. So to those who want to trap otters or need advice I don't like to brag but I know more about otters than any other furbearer

I have seen them swimming their way up flooded runoff ditches beside a highway. No water in summer, winter or fall. And no upstream body of water either. If there is water in it they will explore it. Maybe not as frequently as some streams, but tbey will explore it at some point. Heck they go cross country here all winter. I cross their tracks every day while on the sled running my line

Nice one, congrats! I was lucky to draw 2 tags for central zone, filled them both while targeting beavers.

I'm curious how the tag situation will play out now with going to simplified zones (just a north/south mirroring Bobcat zones). I see so much otter sign by me, its crazy.

I didn't know the zones are changing. That would be nice for me. I-94 splits my county into 2 zones currently.

I actually don't see tons of sign by me. They are around though. I never see an otter toilet by the streams I've observed, but I've trapped the Southern zone and I tend to think the Central zone has more otter.