Been watching an otter toilet since early spring. There is a slide they use to access the toilet. It’s on a stream that connects 2 lakes. The edges tend to freeze but the middle usually doesn’t. PA has a one week season in mid February. If there is ice on the edges during otter season, will the otters access the toilet by traveling to it on top of the ice or will they go somewhere else? If the slide is frozen, would it sill be worth it to set the toilet itself?
Thanks

With a 1 week season, I would set the channel, as well as a couple of blind set footholds around the toilet.

Can you block off the stream with conibears.

So I don't have much experience, but I have been trapping an otter toilet on a frozen-edge river exactly like you describe for 2 seasons now. In my experience when the edges of the river are frozen, these particular otters will not use their normal direct route to the elevated toilet, which is a slide that goes from the water about 6 feet up and 12 feet out to the toilet. Instead I have noticed they will exit the river downstream about 75 yards and then run the riverbank upstream to the toilet. Then sometimes they go back the way they came or they cross over about 100 yards of dry land through some alders and crabapple trees to a slough. I caught one of them using bait on a conibear set in the underwater channel they were using. Narrowly missed twice with a foothold on the toilet and had a couple would-be foothold catches but frozen, crusted snow.

Thanks for your replies
Alaska, channel is too deep and bottom is too mucky for me to set the channel. Water level is higher than my chest waders.
Bruce, stream is too wide to block off. Good to have ya back. Always enjoy your posts
Right now, I’m leaning toward setting the toilet, even though it’s in a swamp. They still are using it. I am however still scouting for other locations

A dirt hole set(like for canines) can take otter near a toilet.
Heres one on a levee dividing a ditch and a pond. Ditch leads to a bayou.

send me the gps coordinates and i'll look and tell ya what i think.

Is there any inside bends in the stream.If there is put conibear as close to the bank as you can then fence off the stream for 4 feet or better. Starting on the outside edge of the conibear.Otter and beaver tend to cut off that inside corner hugging the point.

Set heavily.

only set 5 traps at a time in PA.

Like in one specific area or you can only have a total of 5 traps out?

Only allowed five traps out for otter and no more than two can be bodygrippers.

our otter and the season for them is just in the begining stages.hopefully it will be as successful as our bobcat and fisher trapping.a lot of money introducing the otter so i think they are protecting their assets as much as they can.error on the safe side thing.

Maybe I missed it, but can you set a foothold on shore on a drowner cable

When you guys set a dirt hole for otter , do you set in the middle of the toilet , up wind , or both ? As far as bait goes , are you using something fish based or skunky or both ?

You can use beaver castor on them .They will show up on it and also set the bottom edge set on them, It works for me .

If you use a dirt hole set, how far back from the hole do you put the trap?

It'd be neat to see trail cam footage of one working a dirt hole

I think it’s hawbackers makes an otter gland lure.