The article discusses the current environmental problems of lakes located in China. The study is relevant, since population growth and socio-economic development led to an increase in demand for water resources, while there is an increase in the discharge of industrial wastewater, domestic wastewater and other pollutants into water, which leads to a gradual increase in water pollution. The article analyzes the tendencies of changes in the water environment of lakes in China, which serves as a prerequisite for the correct solution of problems and the promotion of countermeasures for the management of the water environment to ensure the effective protection of water bodies.