The Shipai bend section is a typical sharp bend section between the Three Gorges and Gezhouba dams of the Yangtze River.Affected by the complex riverbed topography and sharp bends,the flow pattern is complex and changeable.Especially in the flood season,with the increase of flow velocity and flow rate,the bad flow patterns such as swirling water,oblique flow and scissors water frequently occur,which seriously affects the safety of ship navigation.In order to reduce the navigation risk of this section in flood season and improve the navigation rate,this paper adopts the combination of numerical simulation and measured data.Firstly,based on MIKE21 software,a two-dimensional numerical model of the curve is established.Then combined with the measured data,the reliability of the model is verified.Finally,the verified numerical model is used to analyze the flow characteristics of Shipai curve section under different flow rates.The variation rules of the occurrence probability,location and scale of navigation-obstructing flow patterns such as swirling water,oblique flow and scissors water under different flow rates are clarified,which provides an important reference for the navigation control and navigation safety of this section during flood season.