Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Otters

Hey guys I purchased a 20 acre pond two years ago that has a good trophy largemouth population. The pond is over 40 years old and probabbly has never been managed properly. This spring we are having to do a spillway improvement, and had to erradicate some nuisance beavers that were causing a problem. In the process so far we have trapped four large otters. What do you guys recommend for otter control? Do you call a trapper only when you see them or signs, scat, slides, etc. or do you trap for them annually or on a schedule? Obviously they need to go, but if they haven't been ever controlled in the past, what type of effect do you think they have been having on our fishery?

Otters are really hard on the fishery. They catch a lot of the biggest slowest fish. I'd contact the DWR and see if you can get a depredation permit that allows you to trap them all year round, and see if the beaver can be included.

I'm starting to think otters did more damage to my pond than previously thought. I've done a lot of fishing this year and caught relatively few larger LMB. Recently I found and ~1lb'er floating with its tail chewed off. Meanwhile a few tunnels have collapsed along the bank and I think there's an active den on the farthest part of the shore from me. I got a few #220 body traps (reasonably priced) that I'm going to set out in buckets soon.

Probably should get a devastation permit (or whatever they call it) for otters from the state.

I didn’t know you needed a permit to solve problems.

DD, you're in Texas - the (great) state where "He just needed killing" is a valid defense for a murder charge.

Years ago we had a collapse on our dam because of washed out top soil. The contractor was a buddy of the local game warden and he was there hanging around also. My Dad came down and asked if we could kill cormorants. The game warden chewed my Dad out and let him know the consequences of doing so. My Dad left.

When the game warden left, he told his contractor buddy to make sure my Dad buried or burned the cormorants and left. Texas rules do wiggle a little.

I never could understand why that was a requirement. The one year that I was down there at my friends that isn't too far away from you, he was well over the 200 bird mark for Cormorants removed. That was when you could still get permits. I helped add to his total.

The king owns all the wild animals so you can't interfere with them without his permission. But no he won't fix it if his otters destroy your pond.

Ha Ha!

Scott, I think you have to have a financial loss and a ton of paperwork to get a permit. Unfortunately, hatcheries seem to be the only ones that have one. If Theodore Roosevelt was King, there wouldn't be anymore.

Abaggs --- "What do you guys recommend for otter control?"

For most pond owners - lead and or steel.