Coilia nasus is used to be an important anadromous fish in the Yellow River. However, the C. nasus resources in Yellow River gradually depleted in the late 1980s because of river disconnection, water conservancy project construction, environmental pollution, and overfishing. Since the 21st century, with the implementation of water and sediment regulation in the Yellow River, especially after the eastern route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project was put into operation, the C. nasus has reappeared in the lower reaches of the Yellow River. It has developed into a dominant population in Dongping Lake and Nansi Lake, but no large-scale population has been found in the channels and estuaries of the lower Yellow River.At present, the population of C. nasus in the lower reaches of the Yellow River is in a recovery period, but the population composition and genetic structure have not yet been clarified. The degree of genetic differentiation among different geographical populations is still unclear. The genetic composition of the population and its genetic relationship with the sedentary populations of C. nasus along the South-to-North Water Diversion Project need to be systematically analyzed.