Lake Taihu is one of China's critical lakes and a pivotal focus for national lake management endeavors. Since the water crisis of 2007, an intensive investment (over 262 billion yuan) has been invested in its restoration, rendering it the most attention in lake restoration globally. In Lake Taihu, phosphorus levels had a resurgence since 2016, and have been better controlled since 2020, resulting in a decline in cyanobacteria blooms in 2023. There was a clear relationship between cyanobacteria blooms and phosphorus levels. A review of previous publications on phosphorus in Lake Taihu showed diverse contributions of internal sediment phosphorus release to water total phosphorus. Such disparities significantly influenced the quantification of the phosphorus load of the lake, and the design of controlling strategies for internal sediment phosphorus release. This study reviewed both domestic and international studies concerning the monitoring, experimentation, and computation of phosphorus release from lake sediments, with a focus on the source, sink, absorption, and release patterns. Through comparative analysis, this study established fundamental insights into the patterns and extents of phosphorus release from Lake Taihu sediments. This study introduced the concepts of “total source”, “total sink”, “net source” and “net sink”, and analyzed the conditions under which five processes may manifest as “net sources”. Fick diffusion release is deemed a continuing process, whereas phosphorus reduction release, occurring at the condition of DO＜2 mg/L, emerges as a notably significant process under specific conditions warranting special consideration. The determination of a “net source” should be conducted through dynamic release experiments under environmental conditions for the lake. Despite Lake Taihu currently acts as a “total sink”, its “net source” remains large. It is urgently needed to identify the hot spots and moments of internal sediment phosphorus release, which can support its control.