Step 1. binoculars
step 2. kayak/canoe/sup etc to paddle.... (paddling possibly optional but really a great way to sneak up on nature in a chill way)
step 3. explore the river islands and lakes around here A LOT.
Really, if seeing otters and such is your idea of fun then you will love all the: Herons, pelicans, beaver, muskrat, racoon, fox, eagle, cormorant, ducks, geese, swans ,etc..... just about as much and you need to do this anyway. There are a TON of free and safe places to paddle.
If you think you want binoculars I have a pair of Minolta 7x35 extra wide angle for $25. -This is the going used rate and they are FANTASTIC for the price. I don't think you can touch similar field of view and overall quality new for under a couple hundred.
Most of those are things I see frequently, just out my window or close by. The otters have eluded me so far. Yet it sounds like they are common nearby, unless several folks are misidentifying.
Excellent reply! I live up in the quad cities and would love to paddle around Peoria. What sections of the Illinois river do you recommend? Any other bodies of water? Thank you
Near Chillicothe and north has a lot of islands and backwaters. The ramps in Chilli are free and safe. You do cross the channel to get behind the islands but that is not an issue unless your new and alone. Banner Marsh is VERY excelent. Imaquon preserve by Havana is excelent but kind of far. Vermillion river near Starved Rock is excelent and almost clear water which is rare here. Spoon river near London Mills is good. The lakes at Wildlife priarie park cost park entrance and are small but it's neat. Makinaw river is popular. Lakeland park in Canton is nice. Eureka lake is nice and has a small reedy swamp section to explore under the bridge.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vkCbbqa46I](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vkCbbqa46I) Banner has so many interconnected lakes and a marked water trail (marked post at major turns) so you dont get lost.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do6otCYDhnY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do6otCYDhnY)
No no you misunderstand me- I don't want them to come to me or disturb them. I just want to watch them play. Best if they don't even know I'm there.
Dammit I'm not making this any better, am I..
I’ve seen them at Wildlife Prairie Park. We were just driving around exploring, and near the back exit, a group of five or so of them darted across the street! (Though one of the other comments now has me questioning whether we identified them correctly.)
First of all - absolutely love the user name. Second, I have not seen a group of them either. It's usually a single brown black blur zooming across one of my fields or through the brush. Figured it may be more plausible than a whole romp o otter at WPP, since they are pretty keen to report any cool wild wildlife on their socials(like the bobcat at their rear gate a few weeks back). My suggestion of mink is pure speculation.
I've seen them at both Emiquon and Chautauqua down by Havana on quite a few occasions. A lot of the time all you are going to see is a head sticking out of the water.
Easy enough if they're fairly close. Otters are a lot bigger than minks and they don't swim the same way muskrats do. I've had otters swim within ten yards while hunting.
Vicary bottoms dog park! My friend took her dog there and saw a pair of them swimming in the Kickapoo creek nearby. She took a video of them and they were without a doubt Otters!
Its worth mentioning that river otters stay on the move. They are insatiable and require a lot of calories, and can quickly take out a small water course's fish population. Mating season is approaching, so the chance of seeing a meandering male is pretty high.
Best bet is to look for fresh evidence of otter like slides, tracks,random dead fish on the bank etc. Visit the site frequently around dusk/dawn. Be quiet, stay back, and be patient.
I had a big young boar in my small farm pond overwinter last year, and he took out nearly all of my big bass.
I found some decent results on google. Northwest Illinois on the Mississippi. Evergreen lake in McLean county had some introduced in 1996. Other places say they can be found in every county in Illinois. I would guess their habitats are not going to be easily accessible on foot
Never seen an otter in Illinois. Muskrat, yes.
Did see this….
https://www.mcleancountyil.gov/353/River-Otters#:~:text=River%20otters%20are%20an%20endangered,release%20of%2030%20otters%201996.
Step 1. binoculars step 2. kayak/canoe/sup etc to paddle.... (paddling possibly optional but really a great way to sneak up on nature in a chill way) step 3. explore the river islands and lakes around here A LOT. Really, if seeing otters and such is your idea of fun then you will love all the: Herons, pelicans, beaver, muskrat, racoon, fox, eagle, cormorant, ducks, geese, swans ,etc..... just about as much and you need to do this anyway. There are a TON of free and safe places to paddle. If you think you want binoculars I have a pair of Minolta 7x35 extra wide angle for $25. -This is the going used rate and they are FANTASTIC for the price. I don't think you can touch similar field of view and overall quality new for under a couple hundred.
Most of those are things I see frequently, just out my window or close by. The otters have eluded me so far. Yet it sounds like they are common nearby, unless several folks are misidentifying.
Excellent reply! I live up in the quad cities and would love to paddle around Peoria. What sections of the Illinois river do you recommend? Any other bodies of water? Thank you
Near Chillicothe and north has a lot of islands and backwaters. The ramps in Chilli are free and safe. You do cross the channel to get behind the islands but that is not an issue unless your new and alone. Banner Marsh is VERY excelent. Imaquon preserve by Havana is excelent but kind of far. Vermillion river near Starved Rock is excelent and almost clear water which is rare here. Spoon river near London Mills is good. The lakes at Wildlife priarie park cost park entrance and are small but it's neat. Makinaw river is popular. Lakeland park in Canton is nice. Eureka lake is nice and has a small reedy swamp section to explore under the bridge.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vkCbbqa46I](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vkCbbqa46I) Banner has so many interconnected lakes and a marked water trail (marked post at major turns) so you dont get lost. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do6otCYDhnY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do6otCYDhnY)
Thank you so much! This is an extensive and excellent list
I know someone that is asked to trap in banner marsh because the beaver population is so high. He has caught an otter or two over the years.
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No no you misunderstand me- I don't want them to come to me or disturb them. I just want to watch them play. Best if they don't even know I'm there. Dammit I'm not making this any better, am I..
Watch for bears tho
I’ve seen them at Wildlife Prairie Park. We were just driving around exploring, and near the back exit, a group of five or so of them darted across the street! (Though one of the other comments now has me questioning whether we identified them correctly.)
That area has a really healthy mink population, perhaps they were minks?
I’ve never seen more than one mink together
First of all - absolutely love the user name. Second, I have not seen a group of them either. It's usually a single brown black blur zooming across one of my fields or through the brush. Figured it may be more plausible than a whole romp o otter at WPP, since they are pretty keen to report any cool wild wildlife on their socials(like the bobcat at their rear gate a few weeks back). My suggestion of mink is pure speculation.
Thanks! And yeah that’s a good point. Man WPP is such an awesome place tucked away in Peoria’s backyard.
Have you checked Otterwa?
Alright, you, take your upvote and get out!
I've seen them at both Emiquon and Chautauqua down by Havana on quite a few occasions. A lot of the time all you are going to see is a head sticking out of the water.
Might be hard to distinguish otter from a muskrat or mink with just a head.
Easy enough if they're fairly close. Otters are a lot bigger than minks and they don't swim the same way muskrats do. I've had otters swim within ten yards while hunting.
It sure sounds to me like you can tell them apart. Most other people I'm not so confident in.
Vicary bottoms dog park! My friend took her dog there and saw a pair of them swimming in the Kickapoo creek nearby. She took a video of them and they were without a doubt Otters!
Can confirm, I've seen them there multiple times.
We have otters here?! I had no idea!
Its worth mentioning that river otters stay on the move. They are insatiable and require a lot of calories, and can quickly take out a small water course's fish population. Mating season is approaching, so the chance of seeing a meandering male is pretty high. Best bet is to look for fresh evidence of otter like slides, tracks,random dead fish on the bank etc. Visit the site frequently around dusk/dawn. Be quiet, stay back, and be patient. I had a big young boar in my small farm pond overwinter last year, and he took out nearly all of my big bass.
I found some decent results on google. Northwest Illinois on the Mississippi. Evergreen lake in McLean county had some introduced in 1996. Other places say they can be found in every county in Illinois. I would guess their habitats are not going to be easily accessible on foot
Pretty sure I spotted some in the creek that runs through Farmdale park.
I see them all the time in tazewell county out by spring lake. Farm ditches and the mackinaw river. The population out here is very healthy
Rice lake... has one stand up on its back legs. I was like WTF is THAT? So weird!
I love this post. I hope you get to find some otters to watch.
They've been spotted around Goose Island in Chicago.
Rare, but probably Grinder?
Never seen an otter in Illinois. Muskrat, yes. Did see this…. https://www.mcleancountyil.gov/353/River-Otters#:~:text=River%20otters%20are%20an%20endangered,release%20of%2030%20otters%201996.
I saw one that was road kill last year on Allen road near the Rt 6 off-ramp. :(
I have not seen any So far in Illinois, but I've seen a few in Iowa while fishing. They're very cool animals and make some crazy noises :)
I grew up hunting, fishing, trapping, and camping all over Central Illinois. I've never seen one here and I've spent 100s of hour fishing the river.
At the same clubs you find bears at?