This study employed several approaches to extract key geographic elements(i. e. , aquaculture area, submerged vegetation, floating-leaved vegetation, marsh and cultivated land)using the 37 Landsat image data from 1977 to 2020. Thereafter, the evolution process of geographic elements in the Gaobaoshaobo Lake was analyzed from the temporal and spatial dynamic evolution of elements in long time series. The main conclusions are as follows: As a whole, the area of aquaculture areas increased first and then decreased, which was mainly affected by the policy regulation. Potamogeton crispus is a dominant species of aquatic vegetation and has grown explosively to block waterways since 2010. The cultivated land was mainly disturbed in the north of Gaoyou Lake, and the area increased first and then decreased. Most of the marsh was disturbed in the north and near the coast of Gaoyou Lake, and the area of marsh is decreasing. Both are mainly converted into aquaculture areas. The change hotspot is located in the north of Gaoyou Lake, and driven by the policy regulation and economic interests, the transformation among marsh, cultivated land and aquaculture area is quite significant.