Lake Horton Water Reservoir and Fayette Coweta fishing

Paul Cataldo

Senior Member
Can anyone tell me what is the deal with Lake Horton now? I grew up in Fayette 40 yrs but now I’m in Coweta. Online reading isn’t fully clear but it now looks as if you have to pay $300 yearly to fish Lake Horton as a non resident? Is this correct?

BT Brown reservoir in Coweta has some ridiculous rules like you can’t even fish from the bank which is hard to believe and they say max of 15 boats on the water at a time. I’m still not even sure if this lake is open for fishing or not? I assume they are but not sure.

Anyone else got some recommendations? If anyone has good private ponds for fishing, I would gladly pay you or do some home repairs etc. I can literally build, fix, make or design or do anything. Very skilled and very responsible and more importantly, very Jesus loving! I just love to bass fish and sometimes catfish. Thanks for any suggestions guys.
I live in Moreland GA if that matters.
God Bless you all.
 
Last edited:

cjones

Senior Member
I'm in Coweta as well. Resident tag for BT Brown is ~$39 I think per year. Not available for non-Coweta residents, I think. Have to go to water department with a copy of a bill with current address on it to get the pass. I haven't had any issues with the 15 boat limit, but I don't go out there as often as I would like, either. The only issues I've had was when people use the longer trailer parking spots for their Mazda Miada. I do wish they opened earlier in the morning, though. I think bank fishing there would be tough. The only public area with access to the water is right at the boat ramp I think - the rest of the land around the lake (other than the dam itself, which is off limits) is private residential.

We went to Horton a few times a few years ago. Back then, you could get a daily pass for $5 at the gate, but I did see that they changed the regs to only allowing non-Fayette Co. folks with the annual $300 pass.

We've started venturing down to the northern edges of West Point. It's farther distance-wise than getting to Horton, but the actual drive time isn't much different for us, at least.

ETA: At one point, Lake Kedron was open to non-Fayette Co. residents, but I'm not sure if that is still the case or not. Haven't been there in a few years.
 

kirby999

Senior Member
I used to buy a BT Brown permit every year . Loved fishing there during the week . Never saw more than four or five boats there .
Out of county Fayette permits may be $300 , but at least they allow out of county fishermen . Unlike what Coweta did with BT Brown after word got out about a guy catching a 15 pound largemouth during a Jon boat tournament and the lake got flooded with people .
People ignored the 15 boat limit and parked up and down the entrance road blocking driveways to people’s homes .
Instead of enforcing their rules , the water authority just decided to eliminate out of county permits.
Fayette went to annual permits because their daily box kept getting vandalized and robbed .
 

deersled

Senior Member
I dont know the details but Coweta co got screwed at Lake McIntosh, half the lake is in Coweta co. It used to cost $5 a day or $50 for a yearly pass. $300 is ridiculous. Needless to say, I dont fish there anymore. Lake Meriwether, in Woodbury, was $3 a person last time I went. Still Branch, down in Molena, is $3 per car as far as I know. Theres a lake in Hogansville thats free. I think its called Jackson something or another.
 

kirby999

Senior Member
The Fayette annual permit is an annual parking permit that allows one to park and use the facilities at any of the three county reservoirs.
I believe anybody who lives on the Coweta side of Lake McIntosh can launch a boat and fish in the lake .
Fayette county tax payers paid to have the lake built .
In my opinion Coweta came out good on this deal .
Maybe you should talk to your Coweta county officials and see if they will build you a park on “ your” side of the lake .
 

Paul Cataldo

Senior Member
The Fayette annual permit is an annual parking permit that allows one to park and use the facilities at any of the three county reservoirs.
I believe anybody who lives on the Coweta side of Lake McIntosh can launch a boat and fish in the lake .
Fayette county tax payers paid to have the lake built .
In my opinion Coweta came out good on this deal .
Maybe you should talk to your Coweta county officials and see if they will build you a park on “ your” side of the lake .
Actually I have read the total opposite that Coweta residents got screwed on the Lake Macintosh deal but possibly you are correct and they were mistaken, I do not know. Regardless, I certainly have zero desire for them to build a park, let alone any type of facility on any reservoir. The less public attractions the better.

As for a Fayette parking pass, what is the 3rd reservoir it covers aside from Horton and I assume Macintosh? Kedron?
 

trents99

Senior Member
From the county site:

Does Fayette County sell an annual parking pass for the county lakes?
Yes. An annual pass is required for Lake Horton, Lake Kedron, and Lake McIntosh for all vehicles that do not have a Fayette County tag. The annual pass is good for all three lakes and is valid from January 1 through December 31. They can be purchased for $300 at the Fayette County Parks & Recreation Department. Daily passes are no longer issued.
 
Top