Abstract: In order to explore the characteristics and influencing mechanisms of CH₄ production potential in different types of wetlands in Jiangsu Province, and to accurately assess CH₄ emissions and their importance in carbon emission estimation, the inland lake wetlands, river wetlands, and coastal wetlands were selected as the research objects. Soil samples from different vegetation types in lakes (Hongze Lake, Taihu Lake), rivers (Huaihe River, Yangtze River), and coastal areas were collected and the CH₄ production potential was quantified through indoor cultivation experiments. The relationship between CH₄ production potential and soil organic carbon, dissolved organic carbon, total nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, and soil pH, was analyzed. The results showed that there were significant differences in physicochemical properties of soils among different types of wetlands, with lake wetlands having significantly higher contents of soil organic carbon, dissolved organic carbon, total nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen, compared to river wetlands and coastal wetlands, while only Hongze Lake wetland soil exhibited a discernibly higher nitrate nitrogen content than other wetlands. The CH₄ production potentials in soils of lake wetlands, river wetlands, and coastal wetlands were 0.048-4.556 μg/(g·d), 0.005-0.145 μg/(g·d), and 0.002-0.348 μg/(g·d), respectively. The soil CH₄ production potential in lake wetlands was the highest, being 9.6-31.4 times that of river wetlands and 13.0-24.0 times that of coastal wetlands. Accordingly, the CH₄ production potential in different types of wetland soils in Jiangsu Province ranked as follows: lake wetlands>coastal wetlands>river wetlands. The main influencing factor for CH₄ production potential in lake wetland soils was the dissolved organic carbon content, whereas the total nitrogen content was the predominant factor influencing CH₄ production potential of river wetlands, and the CH₄ production potential of coastal wetlands was mainly affected by the dissolved organic carbon and ammonium nitrogen contents.