Temporal evolution characteristics of characteristic water level of Chenglingji under the effect of group hydrological projects were analyzed based on the monitored hydrological data of Chenglingji Station in Dongting Lake from 1956 to 2020 using Mann-Kendall test. The results showed that the annual characteristic water level of Chenglingji showed a significant upward trend (P<0.05). Compared with the first stage, the annual average water level of the second, third and fourth stage increased by 0.68, 1.04 and 1.61 m, respectively, the annual highest water level increased by 0.35, 1.14 and 1.78 m, respectively; while the annual average water level and the annual highest water level decreased to 20.87 and 30.50 m, respectively at the fifth stage, and the annual lowest water level increased by stages (18.09, 18.84, 19.32, 20.26, and 20.87 m). There were four hydrological seasons in Chenglingji water level, which were water-rising season, wet season, water-falling season and dry season. The highest water level in water-rising season increased by more than 2 m; the average water level and the highest water level in wet season fell back to 28.69 and 30.42 m at the fifth stage after increased at the first four stages; the average water level and the highest water level fluctuated in water-falling season, and the lowest water level gradually decreased at the last four stages; in dry season, the average water level and the lowest water level increased gradually, and the characteristic water level at the fifth stage increased by more than 2 m. The effect of group hydrological projects on the characteristic water level of Chenglingji presented different states in each typical year. After the operation of Three Gorges Reservoir, the characteristic water level of Chenglingji decreased in the wet season and dry season of the wet year, but increased in wet season and decreased in dry season of the usual year, and increased in dry season and decreased in wet season of the dry year.