I was talking with a neighbor last night who lives up the lake from me, and it occured to me (through his curiosity) that there's a lot of guys out there who don't really know how to target otter specifically. My neighbor was shocked that I catch otters without trapping beaver. So my conclusion was that most people catch the occasional otter in a beaver set, but either don't know how or have the patience to target otter. So I figured I'd put what I know out there, as I'm pretty sure that's what this site is for.
Otters are not a complicated creature, it just takes patience to catch them. I find a spot with limited beaver activity (just so I don't have beaver plugging my sets), and I look at the obvious travel routes in and next to the water, and try to find funnels or choke points where their options are limited. I like to walk creeks after a fresh snow looking for otter sign, they'll tell you where to put your conibears. Once you have an idea of their travel routes and some good pinch points along those routes, you're ready to place some steel. In my mind, a #280 is the ultimate otter trap, but I catch plenty in 330's and 220's. I set every single good pinch point I can find, and I may even create a few (drop a tree into the creek, make sure it doesn't reach the far side, set a conibear in the gap between the tree and the bank). I also set any hole I see that they've used to get on/under the ice, as well as trails to and from any toilets I find. Once you're setup, patience is key until you've patterned your otter (are they passing through once a week? Once a month? You need to know) and I check otter sets more frequently than I would most anything else, because I want to know exactly when they're moving through, and I'll be kicking myself if they did come through, but my traps were plugged by a passing mink or muskrat, so I like to check otter sets every 2-3 days to make sure they're still working, and to get a schedule put together for the otter I'm trapping. Just be patient, they'll come through. Hopefully someone finds this helpful, I know otter used to give me fits until I learned to be patient with them.

Nice tips.Otter are also very attracted to mink glands

I agree, good tips AK. Bllnd setting is just about always the best for otter in my experience. My recipe for success with otter is cruising up and down streams and lakes in my jon boat and finding their toilets and setting those up. I've taken 70 or more in a season going that route.

I set all sign that I see, plus pinch points, dam crossings, any little feeder creeks that intersect, and old beaver lodges/bank dens. I keep my gear in place until they've passed through 2 to 3 times (depending how many I believe to be in the group) then I pull and move on

Are otter easily guided? I've caught several, but always in beaver sets.

Kind of depends on the situation. I try to keep the guiding as natural as possible, a fallen tree looks normal to them, as opposed to building a fence out of sticks across the creek. Old beaver dams are excellent spots, culverts work good too, any type of structure in the water that limits where they're going to pass through, can even just be a narrow spot that's just wide enough for side by side 330's and a 6-8" log over the top as a dive stick/anchor. And patience is the key, they cover a decent stretch of water, so it can be a while before they're back

I agree with AK on the guiding. In my experience they tend to spook at overly guided sets.

Yeah, most small creeks have enough natural guiding to work with, it's just a matter of choosing the spots you can set, and what seems most likely, if you have the traps, set everywhere you can think of that they'll come through. I set otter gear really heavy, take as many from the stretch of water I'm on that I feel is sustainable, and move on to somewhere else.

Channels and narrow spots in streams,etc.

Thanks gents, most places I trap are ponds, and a few cricks. The ones I've caught have either been on crossovers or beaver holes.

Just find where they go in and out of the ponds. Or if they're froze over, lay a conibear over the holes where they get out on the ice to rest and eat. If the water level drops under the ice, you can also chip a few holes in the edge of the ice by the high water mark, they'll usually have a trail all the way around under the ice

I used to love to trap otters growing up. When I moved here they have a quota and a per trapper limit. Which used to be two but they upped to three otter per trapper a couple years ago. If I am beaver trapping I can usually fill that in beaver traps, plus I always gang set when I trapped for otter because they travel in groups. And I could overfill my limit in one check, so I pretty much quit setting for them. Toilets are an excellent set but other than that I always said the best otter set was a good beaver set. Crossover sets on dams are deadly on otter, and if the dam is abandoned by the beaver you don't have to worry about them plugging up your otter sets.
I've never made a lured or baited set for otter than I can recall. Because blind sets work so well. Pinch points in smaller creeks are excellent places for conibears.

Yeah, I've never used a baited otter set aside from a submerged bucket in salt water. I set them blind 99% of the time, the submerged buckets are more of a novelty set. I'm pretty familiar with your laws in ID, my little brother works for Idaho fish and game. I was down there hunting with him a few years ago, we saw 9 otter traveling together by priest lake, they should probably lift your guy's quota lol

I set all blind sets myself but when you can find areas where the otter are going in and out of the water a little mink gland will hold them in the area longer and with multiple sets you have a good chance of multiple catches.

Never tried using any lure, just fish heads in submerged buckets, but blind sets in creeks out produce any other set by far. The submerged buckets are just a way to get a set where it would otherwise be really difficult or impossible. I've sunk them in 40' of salt water with the bucket and trap secured to a nylon rope with a bouey. Not a big producer, but it's caught me a few

I also learned how to set for them by following their tracks in the snow. The stretches of water that have alot of debris they will get out and run on the bank. Then re- enter water where the water has limited debris. If there is a big bend in the water they will always have a trail across the land to cut the corner.

They're fun and interesting animals to trap, one of my favorites (I have a few favorites for different reasons lol)

I am by no means an otter expert, but i have found that bottom edge sets, just like described for mink, work very well for otter also. Its a waiting game. I have the locals figured out, as far as they are on an 18-21 day schedule. They'll hang around a day or three when they show up, then they are gone for roughly three weeks.

I happen to live in an area with a decent number of otter, but absolutely zero beaver. So I have had to learn to trap them without the aid of the beaver dams and houses.

Like k snow...no expert here but time is your friend....leave those traps set!

Trapping toilets during late February and early March I don't need much patience. Otter visits during the rut are very regular.... usually every 1-2 days. About 80% of the "customers" are males.