One approach to improve winter wheat yield and water use efficiency (WUE) is to identify appropriate crop planting pattern. The aims of this research were to compare planting pattern in wheat, evaluating yield and WUE. The experiment was carried out from October in 2008 to June in 2009 at Agronomy Experimental Station of Shandong Agricultural University. The winter wheat experiment consisted of 3 planting patterns and 3 irrigation schedules under the same plant population density (1.8 10⁶ plant/hm²). Row spacing were 25 cm (A), 20 + 40 cm for flat planting pattern (B) and 20 + 40 cm (double lines in the furrow with 20 cm spacing, and 40 cm between furrows) for furrow (C). The three irrigation schedules were used at jointing, heading and filling stages respectively; the amount of irrigation was 30 mm, 45 mm and 60 mm every time. Changes in relative water content (RWC), water potential (Ψw), WUE of leaves, soil water storage, yield and WUE were investigated in field experiment during the growing seasons of winter wheat. The results showed that yield leaf water character, and WUE were affected by the planting patterns of winter wheat. Yields furrow planting pattern were significantly higher than those of flat planting patterns (P<0.05). The yield had a positive correlation with relative water content (R=0.902^{* *}) and water potential (R=0.571). The relative water content (RWC), water potential (Ψw) and WUE of leaves decreased with growth stage, and the average of RWC, Ψw and WUE of furrow planting pattern were significantly higher than those of flat planting patterns (P<0.05). Moreover, furrow planting pattern obviously increased soil water storage and WUE, and reduced the water consumption. The irrigation enhanced yields, improved water characters, decreased WUE and differ in different platting patterns. Planting pattern and irrigation not only significantly effected WUE of winter wheat, but also had interaction effects. The furrow planting pattern not only had high yield, but also saved water 25% compared with flat planting patterns. These results indicated that the winter wheat of furrow planting pattern is the best planting pattern in the amount of irrigation 135 mm, because it improved leaf water conditions, increased yields and WUE.