To study the distribution characteristics, risks and driving force of heavy metal pollution in the sediments of the Dongting Lake and its tributaries can provide a scientific scheme for the treatment of heavy metal pollution in the surface sediments of the basin, and plays a vital role in ensuring the ecological security of the basin.Methods: This paper evaluates the content of 7 kinds of heavy metal elements in the Dongting Lake Basin, combined with different distribution characteristics. Introduce geographic detector model for spatial differentiation of surface sediments, combined with the Igeo and geographical weighted regression model, quantitative explore various influence factors on the geographical space of the lake surface sediments of heavy metal pollution distribution driver, and the Arcgis of the main influence factor correlation coefficient of spatial visual expression.Results: ① The content of heavy metals in Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Ni, Zn and Zn are 5.06, 1.69, 1.74, 2.02, 1.54, 1.58 and 1.67 times of the background values of sediment in the Dongting Lake water system, respectively. The heavy metal Cd element is 5 times of the background value, and some points exceed the soil screening value, which has caused harm to the surrounding environment. Mn is twice the background value, which grows rapidly in the Dongting Lake basin and requires enhanced monitoring. ② Calculated by Igeo (Earth accumulation index), the mean value of Cd elements in the study area is between 1 and 2, which belongs to moderate pollution. Igeo of heavy metals Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn in the study area are less than 1, all belonging to mild pollution, the main heavy pollutant Cd of sediments in the Dongting Lake and its tributaries. On the whole, the risk of heavy metal pollution in the sediments in the Dongting Lake area is high, showing the overall gradual accumulation process, and basically at the mild- moderate pollution level. ③ through the geographic detector model, rainfall, distance from the villages and towns, air temperature, according to the road distance, land use type, according to the railway distance (0.16), NDVI, DEM on the Dongting Lake sediment heavy metal accumulation index (Igeo) has strong interpretation, shows that the Dongting Lake sediment heavy metal pollution by geographical conditions such as natural factors, but also closely related to human activities.Conclusions: ① On the whole, the average value of all elements in the sediments in the Dongting Lake area is 2, which belongs to the medium pollution degree. ② The serious pollution areas are mainly concentrated in the Zijiang River basin and the Xiangjiang River into the Dongting Lake basin and the center of the Dongting Lake, and the sediment sediment in the Yuanjiang River basin shows moderate pollution. ③ through the geographical detector, select rainfall, according to the highway distance, DEM of sediment heavy metal Itot spatial distribution of strong factors, annual average rainfall and distance from the road is the effect of double factor enhancement, other factors interaction are nonlinear enhancement, shows that the selection of environment and natural factors on the lake surface sediment of heavy metal spatial distribution discrete play a driving role.