Purpose <p>Heavy metal&#xa0;and metalloid pollution are increasingly recognized as a critical environmental issue, and understanding its distribution and sources is essential for effective environmental management. However, at the watershed level, the distribution characteristics of heavy metals and their response to land use, especially in regions with intensive agricultural activities, are not well understood.</p> Materials and methods <p>This study examines the Honghu Lake watershed in central China, a region characterized by frequent agricultural activities and diverse land use types. We conducted an in-depth analysis of the concentration, distribution, and risk of heavy metals in watershed sediments, focusing on the correlation between land use and heavy metal sources. 68 sediment samples were collected from river and lake systems, and the concentrations of a metalloid and nine heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn, and Fe) were detected. The land use in Honghu basin was classified into seven categories for analysis, utilizing geographical information technology.</p> Results and discussion <p>In the sediments of the Honghu Lake watershed, the dominant pollutants identified were Cd, Pb, and Mn, with average concentrations of 0.38, 40.53 and 854.70 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. Pollution and ecological risks were found to be greater in the river's upper reaches and the southern part of the core lake, areas with more intense human activity. The analysis based on land use structure indicated that within a 2000-m radius, land allocated for construction and ponds significantly influenced heavy metal levels in river sediments. In the case of lake sediments, embankments and enclosures, previously used for aquaculture, showed the highest correlation with variations in heavy metal content.</p> Conclusions <p>Our findings showed that the processes of aquaculture and urbanization significantly affected the levels of heavy metals in the sediments of the Honghu Lake watershed.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>