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Georgia River Otter Trapping
River otters are trapping-only in Georgia: the season runs Dec 1, 2026 to Feb 28, 2027, 90 days, with no limit. This guide gathers the otter calendar, limits, licenses, legal weapons and public land.
Photo: Scott Heron (CC BY-SA 2.0)
A Trapping License is required, $40.00 resident, $325.00 nonresident; nonresidents also post a forfeiture bond. Disturbing a den or driving wildlife from a den, hole or home is against the law. Hides of legally trapped furbearers are among the few wildlife parts that may be sold in Georgia.
What WRD prints about river otters
- Method: Trapping Dec. 1-Feb. 28 with trapping license.
River Otter bag and possession limits
Limits for river otters as numbers and as written.
Mink, muskrat, river otter, skunk, weasel (trapping)
No limit.
When river otters are open in Georgia
1 dated row for river otters from the 2026-27 guide, with private land, zone and public land segments kept apart.
| Season | Area | From | Through | Days | Open? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trapping | Statewide | Dec 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | 90 |
From the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division 2026-27 season page and the 2026-27 guide (PDF), checked October 13, 2026.
River Otter habitat on public land
River otters are not a heading in the area listings, so the table shows the 130 with waterfowl seasons. Ask WRD for a trapping permit before setting traps on a WMA.
| Area | Type | Counties | Region | Size, acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests | National Forest | Rabun, Fannin, Union | – | 869,017 |
| Blue Ridge Ranger District | National Forest Ranger District | Union, Lumpkin, Fannin | Gainesville | 302,238 |
| Chattooga River Ranger District | National Forest Ranger District | Rabun, White, Habersham | Gainesville | 261,439 |
| Conasauga Ranger District | National Forest Ranger District | Murray, Fannin, Gilmer | Gainesville | 188,617 |
| Oconee Ranger District | National Forest Ranger District | Putnam, Jasper, Greene | Thomson | 116,724 |
| Cohutta WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Murray, Fannin, Gilmer | Armuchee | 92,647 |
| Cedar Creek WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Putnam, Jones, Jasper | Thomson | 41,000 |
| Redlands WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Greene, Oglethorpe, Morgan | Gainesville | 37,500 |
| Dixon Memorial WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Ware, Brantley | Brunswick | 35,247 |
| Townsend WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Long, McIntosh | Brunswick | 34,294 |
| Altamaha WMA | Wildlife Management Area | McIntosh | Brunswick | 31,569 |
| Savannah National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | Effingham, Chatham | Fitzgerald | 30,715 |
| Paulding Forest WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Paulding, Polk | Armuchee | 28,183 |
| John's Mountain WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Gordon, Walker, Floyd | Armuchee | 23,710 |
| Crockford-Pigeon Mountain WMA | Wildlife Management Area | Walker | Armuchee | 21,895 |
More public land for river otters
Rich Mountain WMA (20,674 ac) · Chickasawhatchee WMA (19,700 ac) · Sansavilla WMA (19,084 ac) · Swallow Creek WMA (19,000 ac) · Lake Russell WMA (17,300 ac) · Bullard Creek WMA (17,005 ac) · Little Satilla WMA (16,990 ac) · Paulks Pasture WMA (16,066 ac) · Ceylon WMA (16,000 ac) · Warwoman WMA (15,800 ac) · Berry College WMA (15,605 ac) · Ocmulgee WMA (15,475 ac) · Tuckahoe WMA (15,100 ac) · Oaky Woods WMA (13,450 ac) · B.F. Grant WMA (11,400 ac) · Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge (11,184 ac) · Penholoway Swamp WMA (11,177 ac) · Canoochee Sandhills WMA (10,224 ac) · Clarks Hill WMA – East (10,224 ac) · West Point WMA (10,000 ac) · Ohoopee Dunes WMA (9,271 ac) · Chattahoochee Fall Line WMA: VPA Tracts (9,048 ac) · Sapelo Island WMA (9,000 ac) · Flat Tub WMA (8,748 ac) · Grand Bay WMA (8,700 ac) · Lake Seminole WMA (8,300 ac) · Chattahoochee Fall Line WMA: Hilliard Plantation Tract (8,089 ac) · Oconee WMA (7,930 ac) · Yuchi WMA (7,800 ac) · Bond Swamp National Wildlife Refuge (7,760 ac) · Allatoona WMA (7,589 ac) · Richmond Hill WMA (7,400 ac) · Horse Creek WMA (7,397 ac) · Big Hammock WMA (7,315 ac) · Treat Mountain WMA (7,260 ac) · Big Lazer Creek WMA (7,200 ac) · Alapaha River WMA (6,870 ac) · Chattahoochee Fall Line WMA: Almo Tract (6,700 ac) · Clybel WMA (6,700 ac) · Sprewell Bluff WMA: West (6,571 ac) · Mayhaw WMA (6,300 ac) · Griffin Ridge WMA (5,975 ac) · Rum Creek WMA (5,800 ac) · Hannahatchee Creek WMA (5,600 ac) · Sheffield WMA (5,556 ac) · Beaverdam WMA (5,500 ac) · Clayhole Swamp WMA (5,242 ac) · Tallapoosa River WMA (5,215 ac) · Blanton Creek WMA (4,800 ac) · Moody Forest WMA (4,675 ac) · Altama Plantation WMA (4,612 ac) · Lanahassee Creek WMA (4,440 ac) · Joe Kurz WMA (3,700 ac) · River Bend WMA (3,670 ac) · Rogers WMA (3,340 ac) · plus 60 smaller areas
Areas and species lists from WRD’s 2026-27 area listings, the WRD WMA layers and federal managers, retrieved 2026-10-13. Harvest by area from WRD Game Check.
River Otter rules in Georgia
The Trapping License and the other rules for river otters.
Licenses
| What to buy | Resident | Nonresident |
|---|---|---|
| Trapping License | $40.00 | $325.00 |
Daily hours
Trapping river otters follows the season dates. Shooting-hour rules are written for hunting.
Sunday status
Sundays are open for river otters under the statewide seasons; a WMA listing can set its own days.
From the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division 2026-27 guide, licenses and fees and hunting information, checked October 13, 2026. Georgia hunting laws · License guide.
River Otter trapping rules
The guide’s general rules that reach river otters.
River Otter methods and restrictions
Dens
Unlawful to disturb wildlife dens, holes or homes or drive wildlife from them.
Sale of game
Unlawful to sell or buy game or parts, except antlers, hides and tails of legal deer, squirrel tails, hides of legally trapped furbearers and legal alligator products.
WMA prohibited acts
Man-drives (3+ hunters driving deer/hogs); baiting; target practice off ranges; hunting within 50 yards of open roads; driving around gates; alcohol outside designated campsites; drones; dogs for big game/hogs/coyotes unless specified; loaded firearms in vehicles during open season (non-carriers); cocked crossbows in vehicles; trapping without permit.
2026-27 guide (PDF) and the hunting information page, checked October 13, 2026.
River Otter questions, answered from the guide
Can I hunt river otters with a gun in Georgia?
The 2026-27 guide lists river otters with a trapping season only, Dec 1, 2026 to Feb 28, 2027.
Can I trap river otters on a WMA?
Only with a permit: trapping without one is on the WMA list of prohibited acts.
What public ground in Georgia has river otters?
130 areas on our list qualify; the largest are Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests, Blue Ridge Ranger District (Chattahoochee National Forest) and Chattooga River Ranger District (Chattahoochee National Forest). Those areas list a game category that covers it.
What license do I need for river otters in Georgia?
Otter trappers need (resident price): Trapping License ($40.00).
Are river otters open on Sundays this year?
Sundays are open for river otters under the statewide seasons; a WMA listing can set its own days.
Are there hour limits on river otters?
Trapping river otters follows the season dates. Shooting-hour rules are written for hunting.
What is the Georgia limit on river otters?
No limit.
When does Georgia otter season start?
The otter dates are trapping Dec 1, 2026 to Feb 28, 2027.
Before the otter trip
WRD’s guide is the final word on river otters; this page was checked against it on October 13, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Cumberland Island NPS (CC BY-SA 2.0); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region (Public domain); gary_leavens (CC BY-SA 2.0); USFWS/Southeast (Public domain); USFWS/Southeast (CC BY 2.0); USFWS Mountain Prairie (Public Domain Mark 1.0).