How far can an otter travel under the ice? Place trapping has ice at least 1/4 mile upstream from the open water, gets shallow and faster then deeper (over hip boots) deep and is about 50 yards wide. Is open a ways down stream but not sure how far as goes onto posted property. Anyways have a 2 sets (coni bottom edge where small mostly frozen over stream enters the larger "stream" and coni where stream makes a sharper left and gets deeper. Assuming and set up for them coming upstream from the open water. Has either couple inch deep gravel on one side and deeper (over hip boots) on other all iced over. Only get 7 days trapping here. Owner likes his geese and ducks and by his house (1/4 mile from where have traps) and has at least 500 geese on a pond and they do travel down the ice here along with ducks so have to be careful on sets. No slides or pinch points. No place can determine for lured sets.

Otters can travel for miles under the ice-they know where all the air pockets are.

It never ceases to amaze me to find an otter in a Millette set when it seems like a frozen wasteland practically as far as the eye can see in mid winter.

What Boco said. Otter will likely have no problem locating pockets of air up in the weeds and brush along shore. I know I never had a hard time finding those little spots in mid-winter when walking those areas checking traps.....it is where I broke through the ice along shore.

Millette set?

Just trap the open water.

You can chip open all the way across narrow parts of the creek and fence off with openings for traps. They have no problem finding air pockets under the ice. Can set multiple traps and snare if you want

Otter tend, at least in my area, to be big travelers. That makes them very susceptable to a good blind set or cross-over. Also, when traveling, or when actively hunting underwater/ice, a good Bottom Edge set will whack them. I never had a lot of luck with bait while trapping otter myself, but a friend of mine buys rubber fish like you'd use on a big fishing lure (the more realistic the better) and wires the darn things to the trigger wires on a 330 and catches otter! I have tried it, and have had no luck with that set. As for BE sets....think BIG mink!

Otherwise known as the Otter Pressure Set: At iced over beaver dams with a constant water flow over the dam place a traps, two or three back under the ice. Enlarge the hole if necessary, to accommodate the traps. Then
block off the sides to the dam with sticks thus forcing the otter through the trap(s).

A silt set is a good one for under ice if you dont have the flow to create the ice tunnel required for the Milette set.

Guess I didn't include things. PA you can't be within 15' of a beaver dam or hut so cross overs on these are out. Right now have 2 conis set in the open water area, bottom edge where mostly frozen feeder stream comes into main stream and trap is just barely covered (muskrats love it...don't ask how I know) and one on an H stand where water makes a sharp bend and goes into deeper water. When I said stream this is kind of something need to decide what to call. Name is French Creek but this area is about 50 yards wide and under ice, the still water part. Ice I wouldn't trust walking across. Open area has a deep pool the H coni is on the upstream side just past the bend on the upstream side. We've been having temps in the upper teens to low 20's for close to 2 weeks now so ice forms during night then gets thinner during day. This area I had never been before but Zone 1B is open for otter starting this year. Area was going to set owner changed his mind ( he has videos of them at his place) so about 2 miles downstream of his place. Thought had found a small slide where just a trickle (faucet size) of a stream comes in open water is a softball sized hole so figured would set here but guys ducks and geese come from his house pond (1/4 mi. away and he has at least 500 geese on it right now and he doesn't want them trapped) along with deer (have no idea why as found a few spots they've broken thru in deep water and are going up and down it each day. Going to check upstream today on the iced over part. PA we are also limited during the otter season to 5 traps, 2 of which can be conis.
Thanks for all the info. Actually figured this week (season is 2/13-2/20) was just going to be an excersise week.

I have had otter sign everywhere I beaver trap for the past 15 years, now that we can trap one in this area no tracks and have extreme cold and snow, frustrating. not looking good.

Just set up otter pressures sets as previously explained plus any abandoned beaver lodge entrances you can find and success will come with patience.

Again I'd check with the PGC first as there is no distintion of an "abandoned" lodge. Sounds stupid I know, just some of the laws a stickler of an officer can and has used.
Side note though is moved the coni on the H stand 2 days ago about 20 yards so it is against a fallen tree that blocks most of the "creek" and goes into deeper water....better spot... or so it seemed. Checked yesterday and there's an otter trail in the new snow from overnight coming out from under the ice about 6 feet from the original set. Live and learn. Oh well, figured this year was just going to be learning.

Woodchuck, the set you explained on the curve is a good one, trap has to be on bottom tight to the bank,

Otter most often travel in bunches. If you find an area that looks like a good spot to set a trap, set more than one trap. I have taken 3 otter in an old abandoned, run down beaver dam by setting at several points on the dam. I had two caught in a one 330 Belisle. That was the only time I ever experienced that.

Don't necessarily expect a catch the first night. Leave the trap as long as possible. As J Morse said, otter are big time travelers. It might be weeks before otter come through the next time.

Thanks, season ends Sat., we only get 7 days (2/13-2/20). Know it seems that they make a loop about every 14 days thought heard. (fisher seem about every 7 days here for instance). Will see. Like said figured I'd just be getting my exercise snowshoeing back and forth.

The catching is always good, but it's all about being out there that's the best part.

I found a couple otter in a small pond once . The ice was thim and clear . When they wanted to breath they just swam to the bank and stuck their nose in the little pocket of air that is almost always between the bank and ice
The pocket was only 2" wide and went al the way around the pond