With the improvement of the navigation capacity of the Three Gorges and Gezhouba junction，the channel between the two dams is still the bottleneck that restricts the development of the Yangtze River shipping，and the Shipai bend section is one of the main obstructing sections.Aiming at solving the navigational obstruction problem of the Shipai bend，three-dimensional numerical simulation as well as prototype observation are adopted to carry out methods of diversionary and navigational tunnel.The results show that due to the small surface slope and low flow velocity at the entrance and outlet of the diversion tunnel of the bend waterway in a deep reservoir，the drainage capacity is extremely limited，the diversion results and the improvement of navigational conditions can't be achieved as expected.By using the tunnel navigation mode，the hydraulic index basically meets the standard requirements and can effectively improve the navigation efficiency.The research results can provide theoretical support and technical reference for improvement of sharp bends navigability in a deep reservoir.