Lakes are important components of the Earth's surface water bodies. They serve as irreplaceable functions in regional socio-economic development and conservation of biological diversities. Climate variations and intensive water consumption result in significant deviations in temporal change and spatial pattern in terms of physical and chemical processes. As a sub-discipline of hydrology, lake hydrology addresses the changing patterns of hydrological variables, their relationships, balancing and evolution. It addresses fundamental scientific questions and offers solutions to practical issues. Examples includes hydrological attribution and dynamic evolution, hydrological extremes and practical mitigation, lake resources assessment and sustainable utilization, which have been strongly supporting regional developments. This article reviews the progress of lake hydrology in China in the latest 50 years, with emphases on lake water balance and variation, lake hydrodynamics, lake hydrological extremes, and remote sensing of lake hydrology. Several key research areas are also identified and discussed for future research interests.