To elucidate the long-term succession characteristics of the zooplankton community in Dianshan Lake and its response to submerged macrophyte restoration, four seasonal surveys were conducted from 2019 to 2024, and the community characteristics and environmental factors were systematically analyzed. Based on UpSet plots, non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS), and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), we quantified the stability of species composition, dominant species patterns, and community succession characteristics. A comprehensive water quality assessment was performed using indicator organisms and diversity indices. A total of 58 zooplankton species were identified, with the annual shared species ratio ranging from 46.34% to 55.88%, indicating a relatively stable community composition. The average abundance and biomass were 99.33 ind./L and 4.87 mg/L, respectively, showing negligible interannual fluctuations but significant seasonal differences (peaking in summer) and high spatial homogeneity. Twelve dominant species were screened out, among which Bosmina longirostris persisted as a dominant taxon for six consecutive years. NMDS results showed strong community structural homogeneity during 2019–2021, with the highest intra-group aggregation occurring in 2020. In contrast, the aggregation degree decreased notably during 2022–2024, closely correlated with the occurrence and decline of cyanobacterial blooms. Regarding seasonal succession, the zooplankton community exhibited a regular succession along the primary axis in winter, whereas the community structures remained similar across the other seasons. CCA results indicated that water temperature, salinity, total nitrogen, pH, and dissolved oxygen were the key environmental factors driving changes in zooplankton community structure. The zooplankton community was characterized by a long-term dominance of small-sized groups and B. longirostris, and the community structure was highly sensitive to bloom events. For the first time, large-scale submerged macrophyte communities were recorded to have re-established and persisted in the southern area of Dianshan Lake since 2024. Indicator organism and diversity assessments revealed that the water quality remained at an α–β mesotrophic level, yet showed a marked improvement trend in 2024. Field observations confirmed a spatio-temporal coupling between the water quality improvement and macrophyte recovery. It is speculated that vegetation restoration indirectly promoted community stability by improving habitat heterogeneity and food web structure; however, its driving effect on water quality requires long-term verification. The " physicochemical–biological–habitat" response mechanism chain constructed in this study provides operable monitoring indicators and decision-making support for eutrophication control and ecological restoration efficiency evaluation.