Abstract: With the development of social economy, heavy metals in urban lakes have attracted more and more widespread attention. Qingshan Lake, a lake in a typical mining and metallurgy city called Huangshi, was selected as the research site. In December, 2020, surface sediments and core column samples were collected, and the physical and chemical properties and the contents of chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) were examined. The methods of multivariate statistics, spatial interpolation, ground accumulation index and potential ecological hazard index were used to explore their spatial distribution characteristics and pollution level, and the sources of pollution were also analyzed. Finally, the evolution characteristics and pollution history of heavy metals in Qingshan Lake were analyzed by using SCP (Spheroidal carbonaceous particles) dating. The results show that: (1) The contents of heavy metal elements Cr, Pb, Ni, Cu and Zn in the surface sediments of Qingshan Lake are 34.88-69.88 (mean: 59.17), 68.41-102.29 (mean: 82.48), 38.76-51.10 (mean: 46.26), 99.91-479.43 (mean: 201.16) and 217.83-384.98 (mean: 300.18) mg/kg, respectively. These magnitudes exceeded the background values by 0.69, 3.09, 1.24, 86.55 and 3.59 times, respectively. (2) that the metals of Cu, Pb and Zn reached moderate or above pollution levels, and the pollution status of each heavy metal element is Cu > Zn > Pb > Ni > Cr. The comprehensive potential ecological hazard degree of all samples is above medium, and the potential ecological risk of a single heavy metal element is Cu > Pb > Ni > Zn > Cr. (3) The two-dimensional ranking results of RDA (Redundancy analysis) analysis show that Ni is a natural source, derived from rock weathering and soil parent material, while Cr, Pb, Cu and Zn are anthropogenic sources from traffic and atmospheric deposition. (4) Spherical carbon dating show that the average deposition rate of Qingshan Lake after 1995 was 1.25 cm/year, the average deposition rate from 1950s to 1995 was 0.5 cm/year, and the deposition rate before 1950s was 0.3 cm/year. The evolution of heavy metal content in Qingshan Lake can be divided into four stages. Before the 1950s, the Huangshi area was in low industrial and agricultural outputs, and a relatively low industrial level, and hence a low heavy metal pollution; From 1950s to 1980s, after the founding of the People′s Republic of China, the industry started to develop, but at a relatively low speed which caused heavy metals to be enriched; From 1980s to 2000s, heavy industries of mining and metallurgy in Huangshi area continued to grow, and a large number of heavy metal pollutants were discharged into the environment, causing a rapid increases in heavy metal pollution.; After 2000s, mineral resources were gradually depleted, and with the upgrading of industrial technology and the promulgation of environmental protection regulations, heavy metal pollution was controlled to a reasonable level.