Heavy metal pollution poses a serious hazard to the eco-environment due to its toxicity and persistence. In this study, water samples were collected from 33 points in Chaohu Lake and at the entrances of rivers flowing into the lake. These samples were analyzed to determine the concentration levels of 12 heavy metal elements (V, Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Co, Zn, As, Cd, Pb, Hg, and Fe). The results revealed that Cr, Mn, Cu, Zn, As, Hg, and Fe were identified as anthropogenic inputs. According to the Heavy Metal Pollution Index (HPI), which ranged from 2.74 to 49.42, Fe, Mn, Zn, and As were the primary contributors to pollution. Based on the average sum of heavy metal concentrations at each site in the three regions of the lake (East, Central, West), the descending order was West > Central > East. Considering the human health risks posed by heavy metals, ingestive and dermal exposure pathways were selected to calculate the risks for adults and children. For carcinogenic risk, Ni had the highest cancer risk, and the highest risk site was S4 in the lake, with risk values of 1.79E-03 for adults and 2.74E- 03 for children. Cr had the second place of total carcinogenic risk, and the highest risk site was Nanfei River, whose risk value was 1.02E-04 for children. For non-carcinogenic risks, the results of the Hazard Index (HI) showed that the order of magnitude of average non-carcinogenic risks for 33 sampling sites was As>Co>Pb>Zn> Hg>Mn>Fe>V>Cr>Ni> Cu>Cd. As had potential non-carcinogenic risks in five sampling sites. This study could provide valuable information for water resource management in the Chaohu Lake basin.