Beavers build their lodges primarily in ponds created by their dams or along the banks of rivers, streams, or lakes. They build two main types of lodges:

• Conical or open-water lodges: These are made of sticks, mud, and rocks and are surrounded by water for protection from predators. The lodge has underwater tunnels allowing beavers to enter and exit without being exposed. These lodges are typically in the middle of a beaver-created pond formed by damming a stream or river.
• Bank lodges: These are burrows dug into the banks of rivers, lakes, or streams with entrances underwater. They are constructed when water is too deep or fast-moving to build a classic conical lodge.

Beavers build dams to create ponds to surround their lodges with water, which protects them from predators and provides safety. Inside the lodge, beavers have chambers for living, sleeping, eating, and raising their young. They also store food around their lodges underwater for accessing during winter. Thus, beaver lodges are generally found in beaver-created ponds or at the sides of rivers and streams where water is present to allow underwater entrances.