Abstract: Nitrous oxide (N₂O) is a greenhouse gas that has received considerable attention in addition to carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄)，and inland water bodies such as lakes, rivers, and reservoirs are important sources of N₂O emissions. This article reviews the current research on the generation and emission of N₂O in inland water bodies, exploring its sources, measurement methods, emission characteristics, and influencing factors. In lakes, N₂O is mainly produced by microbial nitrification, denitrification, and the coupling of nitrification and denitrification, and also comes from external sources such as upstream river input, agricultural surface runoff, groundwater inflow, and sewage discharge. Methods for monitoring N₂O concentration or flux in water bodies include the static chamber method, headspace equilibration method, gas chromatography, and diffusion model method. Multiple single methods can also be combined to improve accuracy. Studies show that the N₂O emission fluxes in different types of inland water bodies vary significantly, with the overall pattern being that the variation in rivers is greater than that in lakes and reservoirs. Seasonally, emissions are higher in winter than in summer, and diurnally, N₂O fluxes are higher during the day than at night. Additionally, this article summarizes and analyzes the influencing factors of N₂O production and release in water bodies from multiple aspects, including water quality parameters (temperature, pH, DO, inorganic nitrogen), aquatic plants, and human activities (agricultural fertilization, sewage discharge, aquaculture). Future research should further explore the regulatory mechanisms of the combined effects of natural and anthropogenic factors on N₂O in water bodies and clarify the potential impacts of human activities.