Abstract: 【Objective】The association between shoreline morphology and distribution patterns of elements in near-shore sediments is significant for riparian ecological restoration as shoreline morphology can influence physical and chemical characteristics of near-shore sediments by affecting hydrodynamic conditions, sedimentary processes, microhabitats and vegetation characteristics. 【Method】Here, we collected surface sediments from three shoreline areas with distinct morphological shapes(i.e., concave, convex and straight), at three water-depth gradients in the “Returning Embankment to Lake Area Projection” area in Gonghu Bay, the Taihu Lake. 【Result】 ① The size structure of sediments across the water-depth gradients showed large differences at the concave and convex shorelines, but only smaller differences at the straight shoreline. The size structure showed different trends for the three types of shoreline morphology. The mean grain size of the convex shoreline increased with increasing depth of the water, but decreased with water depth at the concave shoreline. ② The variation in total nitrogen(TN), total phosphorus(TP)and organic carbon(OC)content across the three water-depth gradient zones was generally greater at the concave and convex shorelines than at the straight shoreline. The TN and OC content was the highest in deep water at concave and convex shorelines, and TP content was the lowest in shallow water at the convex shoreline. ③ The redundancy analysis showed that shoreline morphology and vegetation status(i.e., vegetation types, water depth and vegetation coverage)were the main factors influencing TN, TP and OC content, whereas the size structure characteristics of sediments was the least influential factor. 【Conclusion】The curved shorelines increased the heterogeneity of sediment in different water-depth gradient zones, which exerted a significant influence on the spatial distribution patterns of elements in sediments. Therefore, constructing relatively curved shorelines can affect the redistribution of TN, TP and OC, thereby promoting riparian ecological restoration.