I have no experience trapping beaver but I would a lodge and a slide yesterday and would like to put some sets in I have knowledge of rat and mink trapping just never had beaver sign to set on so tell me how y'all set lodges and slides please and thanks

I was taught NEVER set the lodge openings unless you want them holed up for a week or more...and trapped beaver full time for 7 yrs and never needed to anyway.
Set the slide you found.
Make your own slides and set them.
Make castor mound sets.
Hang snares where they are swimming
read here: Basic Sets Forum: http://www.trapperman.com/trapperman/castor-mound.html
and here in the Archives: https://trapperman.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/forums/10/1/Water_Trapping_Archive

It would also help us help you if we knew what traps/snares you have in your arsenal.

If you have 330's or 280's, have you tuned them?.. http://www.trapperman.com/trapperman/Basic_Sets_Bodygrip_Adj.html

I have a few #3 Duke double springs not sure they would work and a few 280 conibears willing to pick up a few more traps if it means I can get my first beaver thanks for any advice I appreciate it

The 280s I have are tuned and it don't take much set em off

Never set the lodge openings? My experience has been much different. The only way I don't set lodge openings is if they are way up under a feed bed, or otherwise not easily located. If you can locate a lodge opening, set a trap in it and you'll catch a beaver. If there are two openings, set a trap in each and catch two beaver. The odd time a rat gets there first and you lose a trap check. If the house is active and no openings easily located, I will set a castor mound each side of or near the house. It all boils down to what is the easiest and most effective method.

Lodge openings have proven for me to be the most foolproof method of catching beaver. Bocos method of setting a hole with two traps per opening can clean a house out in two checks. Very useful under ice trapping. This has been my experience, as lodge opening sets here are a sure thing.

Once you find the main den entrance-its paydirt.Best set in winter when you can walk right to the house on the ice,but in open water there are much quicker sets that will take a lot of beaver.(if you want to burden yourself).

In my experience setting the main entrance is the best way to go, lots of catches and I haven’t had any problems with the beaver being holed up. The entrances are really easy to find through the ice.

What traps do y'all recommend for setting the entrances

330's

What signs do you look for to identify where the lodge entrances are under the ice?

I think setting lodges depends on the trapping pressure they have endured in there past! It s gone both ways for me. So naturally I try and clean them out away from the lodge first. By setting every pinch point and crawl out. 280s and # 3 longs should do what you are wanting. Tryn 2

Ice thickness is usually much thinner above the entrance channel with air bubbles under the ice.

In a mature lodge with a good number of beavers,like Tomcat said the ice will be much thinner over the main entrance.In some cases dangerously thin.You can tell the thinner ice or the ice full of air bubbles by tapping the ice with your chisel or feed hook.Tapping the ice will sound solid until you tap over the entrance where it will sound different(hollow sound).Locating the entrance under the ice can be more difficult with smaller lodges with just a pair of beaver.Once you find the spot to cut the ice then you use a pole to feel for the sides of the entrance channel.The entrance channel can vary quite a bit from a bit over a foot wide to 3 feet wide.