Fish resources in the Three Gorges Reservoir have been continuously changing due to both natural and anthropogenic influences. In order to understand the current status and historical changes of fish community in Xiangxi River, a typical tributary of the Three Gorges Reservoir, fish samplings were conducted in the river using multi-mesh gillnets and trap nets from July 2020 to April 2021, and the data was compared with historical data. A total of 55 fish species belonging to 7 orders and 14 families were collected during the study period, with Cyprinidae having the largest number of fish species. The fish community was dominated by omnivorous and limnicolous species, and the dominant species were Hemiculter bleekeri, Coilia brachygnathus, Pseudobrama simoni and Culter alburnus, with their respective index of relative importance (IRI) values of 5502, 3828, 2567 and 1109 respectively. The diversity index of fish community was the highest in spring and the lowest in summer. The number of individuals caught per unit fishing effort (NPUE) and the biomass caught per unit fishing effort (BPUE) by gillnets were the highest in summer and the lowest in winter. Four upper-Yangtze endemic fish species were not collected and three exotic fish species were found in Xiangxi River compared with before impoundment of the Three Gorges Reservoir. The number of lacustrine sedentary species tended to increase, while the number of riverine species decreased, resulting in a significant change in the dominant fish species. The similarity index of fish composition in Xiangxi River from 2020-2021AD was 0.29 compared with 1987AD, and 0.53 compared with 2012-2013AD, reflecting obvious changes in fish community structure before and after impoundment of the Three Gorges Reservoir. It is suggested to strengthen the restoration of natural river habitats, protect native fish species, and strictly control alien species, so as to promote the recovery of fish diversity and maintain the stability of aquatic ecosystems.