Abstract: Abstract：The study of spatial characteristics of groundwater level is important for rational development and effective utilization of groundwater resources. In order to eliminate the influence of human factors, 118 schemes are constructed with separation distance increment and its corresponding allowable range of variation, maximum calculation range and variance model structure as variables. The parameters of variance model and the statistical results of cross-validation of different schemes are compared and analyzed by cross-validation method and its evaluation index. On this basis, the relatively optimal variogram model is screened out. The numerical model is used to study the spatial distribution characteristics of groundwater level around the East Lake. The results show that: (1) Variogram model parameters and their cross-validation results of different structures are quite different with each other. Variogram model parameters and their corresponding cross-validation resluts of the same structure also have obvious change trend with separation distance increment and the maximum calculation range, and some cross-validation results have opposite effects; (2) The variogram model of groundwater level in Dongting Lake area is a spherical model with parameters: a=97.8 km, C0=9.86 and C1=45.36. The nugget coefficient is 17.9%, which indicates that the groundwater level in the study area has a strong spatial correlation, and structural factors play a leading role in spatial variability; (3) The groundwater level in the area around Dongting Lake generally presents a circular distribution, which decreases in turn from outward to inland, and the groundwater depth decreases in turn. The groundwater level in the study area is closely related to the topography and river system structure.