Wondering if I’m going about it right or if anyone has any better advice. Trapping a narrow river for beaver. Feed piles take up almost whole width of river. Put trap in small space between pile and bank, caught one big beaver, then caught an otter I had to turn in cause our season wasn’t open yet. Otter season closed yesterday so I went to pull that trap and had another beaver. I think there is more beaver based on sign. Don’t wanna catch anymore otter. I’m assuming an otter coming down the river goes around the pile, or between the pile and the bank? I moved the trap to the middle of the river a few feet from the feed pile with a bait stick. Will this avoid otter like I’m hoping?

Some guys twist trigger wires together and push them to one side of coni, this may allow some small beaver to get thru. I personally don't do it because I want to catch the otter.

Use a different set.
There are all kinds of great sets for beaver that will eliminate or greatly minimize catching an otter.

That’s what I thought I did. I changed to a bated 330:in the middle of the river close to the feed pile from a blind set in the space between the pile and the bank. Will that help minimize otter?

Should mention this is under the ice.

An under ice baited set would be a good one.Beaver go for bait pretty good when first ice comes on as they are normally still in feed gathering mode.
Bank den,or house entrance would be another,although there is a slight possibility of catching an otter at a beaver den,much moreso if the trap is left set for a longer period of time after the beaver have been removed.Pretty safe otherwise.
Avoid dam breaks and pinch points/funnels/bottom sets like snarepoles in the main creek channel.

Are there wider places in the river above or below where you are currently setting? You may be able to bring a beaver in with lure to a set less likely to take an otter. Nothing is for certain but there are options that would likely lower the risk of catching an otter. That may make taking the beaver a bigger challenge as well.

Bryce

Under the ice the baited pole set near feed pile or channel should not interest otter.

Under ice snare, 10 inch loop.

Was your creek frozen when you got your incidental otter? I've found since this season was installed most of the population winters in the red river, I'm not saying they are not a few in the man made lakes that feed the Red. I've thought I had a target otter for season after solid freeze up they disappear, I've taken otter trapping small ND creeks in the spring as they disperse west and fell to lower the ND populations if that's there goal the season needs adjusting, unless the incidental catch rate is higher than I think then we need to be given tags for them animals not froced to hand them over to NDGF sadly bound for a trash can..