My son and I made our first trip of the year to Fayette this past weekend and were disappointed to see the number of Nutria rats that have taken over the lake since the last time we were there in September. Just in one cove we saw 18 or 20 of them, most times there would be a group of them huddled together trying to keep warm. Unfortunately they are taking a toll on the reeds, most places we fished the reeds were chewed off just above the water line. Hopefully the lake authorities start trapping or shooting them off soon before all the reeds are completely gone. Other then the Nutria we had a pretty good trip catching about 40 LM between Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning with the biggest ones being right at 5 lbs. The most consistent fishing we found was near the dam on T-rigged senko's other baits that produced for us were DD crankbaits on off shore points and spinnerbaits/chatterbaits in shallow water near the reeds.

Hate to hear the reeds are getting hurt so badly. Its almost that time of the year to break out the flipping stick when the fish move up in the reeds. "Combat fishing."

I have been to Fayette a minimum of three times a month for the last four months. Have not seen a single nutria. We were there one weekend in December and then the next weekend the reeds were like that. Not from an animal, we figured the lake management went in at snake island and by snaps pond to thin it out for some reason. Would like to know for sure though

I can't confirm or deny the reality of nutria out there, but those reeds in certain areas are in horrible shape. Nasty slime everywhere around the reeds as well.

Wow! 18 to 20 nutria? I doubt that I have seen that many in my whole life!

Spend some time in the trinity river backwaters. Those giant rats are everywhere.

I can promise you that we easily seen 18-20 Nutria just in the one location we were at. The cove that we were fishing was in the most North Eastern portion of the lake I do not have my map with me so I do not know the name of it. It is the cove just to the East of the cove that Oak Thicket Park is in and it was in the most Eastern part of that cove where we saw all the Nutria. The reeds were most definitely chewed off right above the water line from the Nutria because we actually saw a couple of them chew them off and feed on them. However the majority of the rats we saw were just huddled together in small groups on top of reed clumps that were already chewed off, it looked like they were trying to keep warm. We were in that cove for the first two hours after daybreak and it was still pretty chilly out. It is possible that lake management stocked them to help control the reeds but there is no proof of this and they could have just as easily migrated in.

I was on Fayette weekend before last and saw a number of Nutria Rats in the Three Fingers cove area. I have fished Fayette County Reservoir for many years and I normally notice at least a few Nutria this time of year. Strangely enough, I do not ever remember seeing them during the warmer months of the year.

I am confident the condition of the reeds is not the result of Nutia activity. As bassasaurus has already said, it occured within the span a week. By the way, where is "Snake Island" or any island on Fayette?

I wish the nutria and others would leave the reeds alone.

I talked to a friend of mine that guides out there the rats have always been there never a problem. He also said the reeds that are broke off are from the cold weather they had a few weeks ago breaking off at the water line. Im sure some are from the rats but not enough to hurt the lake. Have you ever not seen the reeds?

my first trip out there a year or so ago, the reeds were clean, beautiful, tall and some spots were as deep as 3 or so feet INSIDE the reed line, and a clean bottom. Last trip out there (past summer) reeds looked like [censored], grass/slime was so bad you couldnt get to a few of the areas I had previously fished, and the lake appeared to be 2-3ft low.

First trip we were hanging them in the reeds, and man was that some flippin fun