Question on what you fellas and felletes (women) are doing to trap otters around heavily traveled beaver areas. I am actively trapping the beavers, castor mound sets, submerged 330s..ect. that is going well, but I keep seeing a couple otter. I have trapped 2 prior accidentally while trapping beaver. I picked them both up on castor mounds. I have some set in the area I have been seeing the otters but no luck yet. My question is, is there a more efficient way? I have not been able to locate their toilet. I do have their den located, and could set it, but I am more so wanting to outsmart, or learn from it, more than just set near the den and get them without learning much other than you can catch them where they sleep. Any advice is welcome, heck, call me an idiot for not setting no. The den. I don't care, anything and everything welcome. Thank you much

Are you seeing them in a river or stream? Or a lake/pond?
If a stream, you can fence otter pretty hard. If a river, you might try digging a large pocket. Talking 1' across, and 12"-24" deep. Just below waterline at bottom, and a whole rough fish in the back wouldn't hurt. And if there are beaver dams, set both sides. You can place a #280 or #330 on each side, right at water's edge and fence on both sides of the trap.
If you are seeing them in a pond or lake, if it is fed or drained by moving water, go there and look for choke points and toilets.
Also, if you get visual on them, just watch them. Otter are known to frequent the same places each time they travel.

Awesome, this is the type of advice I was looking for. It's a creek, 12 ft across or so. 2 dams on it. I have been seeing them up top of the top dam frequently. The beaver have it deep enough the creek is twice as wide up there so hard to pinch them. Also need all 330s submerged in iowa. How about a bucket set? 220 in a bucket with fish oil and feathers or a fish tied to the back? I really don't know how smart they are or what their habits are. Big time rookie with otter, thanks for any and all advice

You might try a couple footholds on top of those dams then. I would still suggest a bit of fencing. The way otter move on land, it's pretty much dumb luck where they place their feet, but they can be steered with fencing. Make certain you make drowning sets.
As for a bucket, it might work, and bait would be the ticket for a maybe. I have heard some stories about baited underwater buckets working, and even some trappers claim they use giant artificial minnows!

I am almost 100 percent a water trapper consisting in 99% drowning sets and the other 1% are Connis. When you say footholds on top are you talking where they slide or cross to the bottom of the dam, or are you meaning randomly placed on the top side?

I would set one on either side of the dam, where it contacts land. Don't be afraid of doing a little "landscaping".
You could also place a trap or two on the top of the dam, near the middle, and I wouldn't be too concerned about camouflaging the traps, but do be sure to get them as stable as possible.

I will see what I can do! Thanks again

Crossovers on the dams for sure. They will catch both.

If I was setting bodygrips on the crossovers and targeting otters I would downsize to a 280. I don't like suit-casing a otter due to the fact they can sour quickly if caught in the guts and unless your trigger is configured correctly, I've seen them shoot a through a 330. A 280 and a little nondescript blocking is all that is needed. You might want to look around to see if they are actively hunting the area and if so, put in a pocket set or 3. Me personally if I found the den I wouldn't set it, but set everything leading to it.

I've got the dam crossover set already so that's a plus. I will try a pocket set when I get my bait in, and if the ice thaws enough. Any recommendation on bait in a pocket set? Fresh caught fish only?

Set the crossovers or spillways in the dam. Set all of them when setting for otter, not just the ones that show the most use. I prefer footholds on a drowning wire to bodygrips for spillway sets, if I do set a bodygrip there, I would set it on the downstream side, where it is kind of blended/broke up by the sticks that make up the dam. I've never cared for bodygrips setting on top of the dam. They stick out like a sore thumb, and some of it may be residual from when I was growing up and learned to trap, we had to have large bodygrips submerged. I don't know if otters get square shy, but I know beaver do, and always just assume otter could.

Iowa is a state where large body grip traps need submerged. I use alot of ts85s on drowning rods, along with #3 bridgers on drowning rods. If it isn't quite deep enough I'll run a cable.

I ve caught a few on dry land with a double punch hole set like for coyote.

Seriously? Throwing castor in the hole or just a fresh chew to catch their eye?

I have caught a few otter in wolverine sets. I had a few places that wolverine would visit the beaches, so I built cubbies out of alder branches and hemlock boughs. One open end guarded by foot hold. They were baited with beaver, usually 1/2, or even a whole carcass. As the season wore on, breasted sea ducks might get added. I don't know if it was bait or curiosity that brought them in.
I think any fresh fish would be decent otter bait. I would keep bait fresh. Otter are hunters, not scavengers.

Excellent info. I've noticed they don't typically chew on much that's been dead. Always seeing scales in their scat in other places so fresh fish I what I better get. Are otters known to be smart??

Hawbakers, Cavens, and Lenon’s all have an otter lure that might be worth trying. I have used the hawbakers otter lure as a curiosity, but never set it for otter because everything is all frozen whenever I target otter. So it would be hard to keep a dirt hole working, and I would have to check every day (under ice sets have a longer check here). But people catch otter in dirt hole sets.

They are fairly smart, but patience is key. It might be a little bit before they pass through. Crossovers are a great otter set.

Awesome as I already have some hawbakers and cavens coming. I will keep trying new sets and keep you guys posted on what happens. Thanks everyone