# Portage Lakes otter



## Lewzer (Apr 5, 2004)

Has anyone ever seen this guy on the Portage Lakes before? This was taken last week on Long Lake.
I seen many mink, beaver and other wildlife but never an otter.
View attachment 293805


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## icebucketjohn (Dec 22, 2005)

Very cool. I wouldn't be surprised bc of the marsh areas surrounding Long Lake. Great Pic!!!


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## Lewzer (Apr 5, 2004)

I guess these are as rare as I thought. Let me ask another question. Has anyone seen a river otter anywhere in Ohio in the wild other than a zoo?


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## BuckeyeTom (Apr 6, 2004)

I've saw two on the Ohio River. One was near Gallipolis. One near the mouth of the Scioto River where it dumps into the Ohio at Portsmouth.


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## icebucketjohn (Dec 22, 2005)

Yep., seen them frequently along the upper Cuyahoga River & its headwaters in Geauga County.


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## Rocknut (Apr 17, 2015)

I saw a family of 6 while kayaking the killbuck creek. They crossed the creek twice. They where mad and yelling at me. I think I surprised them.


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## s.a.m (Feb 22, 2016)

There up here around Ottawa national refuge


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## set-the-drag (Jan 13, 2013)

Ive seen them in bula back in the day and in the parks in Brecksville


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## Osmerus (Dec 5, 2012)

Nice find. Ya they are more common than people think esp. in N.E Ohio. From Cleveland to Columbus and then east to the P.A line. You can find them on most major rivers. I see then frequently on the Grand River. If ya notice big piles of clam shells along rivers thats a real good sign of otters. Pretty much any large wetland, river, or lake in this part of the state could and probably is home to otters. If you have one otter in an area you generally have more. They tend to be very social and live in groups of a couple or several individuals.


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## Lewzer (Apr 5, 2004)

I guess they're not as rare as I thought in Ohio. I've kayaked the upper Cuyahoga extensively down to Rockwell (right IBJ) and I work in Brecksville and cover the Cuyahoga from the Akron poop plant to Independence. I have never seen one.
I going to keep an eye out for this one on Long this summer when the daughter and I kayak back in the marshlands. This one was right off of Manchester Rd at Confluence Park. It's a pretty high traffic area for those of you not familiar with the area. Long connects with the canal through a culvert and the Tusc River below the new dam only a couple hundred yards away from this area.


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## Tekneek (Jul 23, 2009)

I also see them on the Upper Cuyahoga all the time. Curious little buggers. They'll follow the boat around, play, sit there and watch you for a minute, then disappear and reappear somewhere else. I'm always afraid they'll go after what I'm throwing and get hooked.


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## Lewzer (Apr 5, 2004)

learn something new everyday.


http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/species-and-habitats/species-guide-index/mammals/river-otter


http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/portals...dlife management/riverottermonitoringprog.pdf


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## snag (Dec 27, 2005)

WB bob and I saw them on the grand river marshes probably over 15 years ago while duck hunting, the population is enough for a trapping season. 


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

I've seen them on the Chagrin below Dan Park while steelheading. Pretty cool! This was a few years ago. DNR has stocked them trying to get them to repopulate our rivers. I have a one acre pond and my wife loves them-"they're sooo cute"! Wants me to catch one for the pond! As for mink, they are numerous all over Ohio just about anywhere there's water of any kind-streams, lakes, ponds, swamps(naturally occuring, seldom seen, mostly nocturnal and very shy). Apparently very prolific like rabbits.


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## Whaler (Nov 16, 2004)

I've seen several Mink running in the rip rap while trolling along the dam at West Branch.


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## twistedcatfish1971 (Jul 21, 2013)

Had a jet black mink come right up to me on the dam and steal my cutbait from me...it got dark and I was afraid to sit down...he just kept coming lol. He crawled in my tackle bag and everything.

Don.


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## Redheads (Jun 9, 2008)

Lewzer said:


> I've kayaked the upper Cuyahoga extensively down to Rockwell (right IBJ)


Down to Rockwell ? Is the old bus still there by"the line" ?


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## wasserwolf (Jun 6, 2006)

My Dad and I saw a pair late gun season in a pond that drains into the Grand River, They had the ice broke out in one corner of the pond and took turns watching us walk bye. Very curious animals for sure.


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## RJohnson442 (May 14, 2013)

Long feeds the tusc and I’ve seen plenty in the river before mostly at night jug fishing. they like to scare the crap out of ya.


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## whitetail fever (Nov 7, 2009)

Saw one wading at night at Mosquito Lake last spring. Thought he was coming to get my fish


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## Skippy (Dec 2, 2009)

Watch what you wish for!! You do not want an otter in your pond. Worst yet is a female with young. Th ell clean out your pond then move on. If there's enough fish lots of times they will just eat the head and gills and leave the rest. 
Grand river hunting area is where the state first stocked then close to 30 years ago.


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## Tbomb55 (Nov 27, 2008)

Lewzer said:


> Has anyone ever seen this guy on the Portage Lakes before? This was taken last week on Long Lake.
> I seen many mink, beaver and other wildlife but never an otter.
> View attachment 293805


https://digbysblog.blogspot.com/

pretty cool


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## OptOutside440 (Feb 3, 2019)

I've seen several on the upper Cuyahoga near Eldon Russell before as well while fishing for pike.


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## Bass-N-Buck (Jan 6, 2011)

I've seen them at Jockey Hollow while hunting


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

Skippy said:


> Watch what you wish for!! You do not want an otter in your pond. Worst yet is a female with young. Th ell clean out your pond then move on. If there's enough fish lots of times they will just eat the head and gills and leave the rest.
> Grand river hunting area is where the state first stocked then close to 30 years ago.


Yes. They took so well that there is now a trapping season for them in much of the eastern part of the state.


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## miked913 (Feb 29, 2008)

I got my limit of 3 this year, in portage county. Getting this big male mounted, it was, 22lbs and when we were trying to find the form at the taxidermist it needed the biggest they have available.
















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## Hatchetman (Apr 13, 2004)

miked913 said:


> I got my limit of 3 this year, in portage county. Getting this big male mounted, it was, 22lbs and when we were trying to find the form at the taxidermist it needed the biggest they have available.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


How fast did ya have to run to hit with that ax....


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## STRONGPERSUADER (Nov 5, 2006)

Lewzer said:


> I guess these are as rare as I thought. Let me ask another question. Has anyone seen a river otter anywhere in Ohio in the wild other than a zoo?


We have one around the boat dock at mentor lagoons.


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## bdawg (Apr 14, 2009)

I spent a lot of time on Long Lake last year and didn't see any. Just beaver and mink and muskrats and osprey. I didn't think they would be in such an urban area. I'll keep an eye out for them now!


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## johnboy111711 (Apr 7, 2004)

I have seen them near Beavercreek and below clendening


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## odell daniel (Nov 5, 2015)

how did it taste, just kidding....I'm in central Ohio, have they been released in our area as well?


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## Channelcatman (Sep 21, 2009)

Thats awesome! Will definitely be on the look out!


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## EDE (Nov 6, 2015)

I saw two in Clendening a couple of years ago. Last fall saw one at Atwood. It had a catfish in its mouth about 10" and when it saw me it dropped the fish and started up the rocks toward me. I waved my net and yelled and it went back in the water. Not sure what that was all about.


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## chevyjay (Oct 6, 2012)

Osmerus said:


> Nice find. Ya they are more common than people think esp. in N.E Ohio. From Cleveland to Columbus and then east to the P.A line. You can find them on most major rivers. I see then frequently on the Grand River. If ya notice big piles of clam shells along rivers thats a real good sign of otters. Pretty much any large wetland, river, or lake in this part of the state could and probably is home to otters. If you have one otter in an area you generally have more. They tend to be very social and live in groups of a couple or several individuals.


they were being camera shy but very breifly saw one in the beaver marsh at the national park.


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## johnboy111711 (Apr 7, 2004)

Tinkers creek also has a resident population.


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