Abstract: Algal-derived off-flavors (ADOFs) pollution is a global issue that severely impacts water quality and the aesthetic value of water bodies. To investigate the temporal and spatial changes、sources and driving factors of this pollution in Lake Yuehu, a city landscape lake, we carried out one year-long study from March 2021 to February 2022. Monthly sampling was performed, and the concentrations of four major extracellular off-flavors (2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB), geosmin (GSM),β-cyclocitral and β-ionone), as well as water quality indicators and algal composition were analyzed. Using Spearman's correlation analysis, redundancy analysis, and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), we examined the sources and drivers of off-flavors. Our results indicated that the nearshore area of Lake Yuehu was heavily polluted by 2-MIB and GSM, with annual average concentrations as high as 35.04 ng/L and 8.58 ng/L, respectively. High concentration pollution mainly occurred from June to September. The 2-MIB likely originated mainly from Oscillatoria, Pseudanabaena, and Anabaena, while GSM was potentially derived from Anabaena, Aphanizomenon, Pseudanabaena, and Oscillatoria. β-cyclocitral and β-ionone did not appear to be primarily algal in origin. PLS-SEM results revealed that meteorological conditions (radiation and evaporation) served as the principal drivers of off-flavors in Lake Yuehu, while nutrient levels (total nitrogen and total phosphorus) had relatively weak impacts. Meteorological conditions not only had a significant direct influence on algal growth, but also significantly positively moderated the relationship between nutrients and algae. However, they did not moderate the relationship between algae and off-flavors. These findings implied that meteorological conditions mainly induced off-flavors via influencing algal growth, rather than directly affecting the production of off-flavors.