In response to the issue of “bottleneck”in BIM software for channel design in waterway engineering，key performance requirements analysis and software development are conducted for the channel design software.Based on a 300，000-ton channel renovation and expansion project in China，this article introduces the application of self-developed software in channel design，including 3D geological model，channel parameterization design，automatic section drawing，quantity calculation，and interaction with other BIM software.The results show that the self-developed BIM software for channel design conforms to the design habits，and can meet the current BIM design requirements of domestic channel engineering.This achievement will also provide reference for the independent and controllable design software of similar channel projects.