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Freshwater lakes, taking up one third of the total area of Chinese lakes, are low in salt content and mainly distributed in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the Huaihe River, and the southern Shandong Province. The five freshwater lakes in China are Poyang Lake, Dongting Lake, Taihu Lake, Hongze Lake and Chaohu Lake.

The Poyang Lake is China's largest freshwater lake, with an area of about 2933 square kilometers, an average length of 170 kilometers and an utmost depth of 29.19 meters. As a natural reservoir, it regulates the water level of the Yangtze River. The area is subject to dramatic changes in water levels, shrinking to a tenth of this size in winter. Its main braches include Ganjiang River, Fuhe River, Xinjiang River, Raohe River and Xiushui River. The Poyang Lake is renowned for being a "land of rice and fish", and endowed with a vast beautiful lake and exquisite mountains. Its famous scenic spots include Luoxing Boulder (Fallen-Star Boulder), Lake Boyang Migratory-birds Reserve, and Waterfowls Park, the largest waterfowls park in China.   

The Dongting Lake is located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, extends between Hunan and Hubei provinces and covers more than 3,000 square kilometers, with an elevation of 34.5 meters and a depth of 30.8 meters. It is the second largest freshwater lake in China. Its main braches include Xiangjiang River, Zishui River, Yuanshui River and Lishui River. It is also known as "Eight-Hundred-Li Dongting. On the banks of the lake are many villages with paddy fields and cane fields. But the main livelihood for many villagers is still fishing. The graceful Yueyang Tower is also found on the eastern bank of the lake.