Soil nutrients and enzyme activities in surface soils covered by three typical hygrophilous vegetation communities(Carex brevicuspis, Triarrhena sacchariflora and Polygonumhy dropiper) in Lake Dongting wetland were investigated before (May) and after (October) flooding. Results showed that significant difference in nutrients and enzyme activities was found among soils with the three vegetation communities. Soils covered by P. dropiper had the highest soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP) contents, followed by the soils covered by C. brevicuspis, and by T. sacchariflora. Soil organic matters, TN and TP of the three vegetation types were all higher in May than those in October, while no difference existed between different sampling time for available phosphorus(A-P) and available potassium. For soil enzyme activities, sucrase activity was significantly higher in P. hydropiper community that those in the other two vegetation types; urease activity was generally higher in October than those in May, and showed significantly differences in P. hydropiper and T. sacchariflora communities; Phosphatase activity was highest in T. sacchariflora community and was significantly higher in October than those in May, while in C. brevicuspis community, the Phosphatase activity was higher in May than those in October; Catalase activity was a bit higher in C. brevicuspis and T. sacchariflora communities that those in P. hydropiper community, and moreover it varied significantly with sampling time in C. brevicuspis community. Correlation analysis indicated that sucrase activity was significantly and positively associated with soil nutrients, including SOC, TP, A-P, and TN. It was suggested by correlation analysis that urease activity was not related to soil nutrients, while sucraseactitity was positively correlated to soil nutrient contents (including SOC, TP, A-P and TN). Overall, soils covered by different vegetation types varies greatly in the physicochemical features and enzyme activities.