Abstract: Riparian ecological restoration engineering with offshore wave-elimination weir is an engineering measure with piled wave-elimination weir some meters away from the shore. This measure can dissipate waves, promote sediment deposition, and create an artificial semi-closed bay to restore vegetation in a riparian area which has hard dam and destroyed vegetation. Three habitat gradient zones, i.e., emerged vegetation zone, submerged vegetation zone, and open water area, can be formed after this engineering. In June 2010-May 2011, a field investigation was conducted on the water quality in the three zones in an ecological restoration area of Gonghu Bay, Taihu Lake. The water body inside the weir generally had lower concentrations of nitrite and nitrate but higher concentrations of ammonium and total nitrogen than the water body outside the weir. The water phosphorus concentration inside the weir was lower than that outside the weir in autumn and winter, while an opposite trend was observed in spring and summer. The coefficients of variation of the water body’s nitrite and orthophosphate concentration inside the weir decreased, and the annual maximum values of the water nitrite, nitrate, and orthophosphate concentrations inside the weir were lower than those outside the weir. On the contrary, the coefficients of variation of the water body’s ammonium and total nitrogen concentrations inside the weir increased, and the annual maximum values of the water ammonium and total nitrogen concentrations nside the weir were higher than those outside the weir. To some extent, the restoration engineering could exacerbate the deterioration of the water quality indices such as ammonium and total nitrogen in the restoration area by the end of growth season.