The emergent plants may differ in their capacity to assimilate nutrients from eutrophic water bodies, so the utilization of suitable emergent plants is the key part for successful restoration of shallow eutrophic lakes. This research applied the depletion method after plants were grown for 4 weeks in 1/8 Hoagland nutrient solution to study the kinetics of uptake of nutrient (H₂PO₄^-, NH₄⁺, NO₃^-) by the three emergent aquatic plants Phragmites australis, Typha orientalis and Scirpus triqueter dominated in the littoral zones of Wuliangsuhai Lake (40°36'-41°03'N,108°43'- 108°57'E), a shallow eutrophic lake located in Urat Front Banner of Bayannaoer city, Inner Mongolia. The maximum uptake rate (I_max), Michaelis-Menten constant (K_m), and Minimum equilibrium concentration (C_min) were estimated by the ion consumption dynamics equation. The I_max for H₂PO₄^- of Phragmites australis, Typha orientalis, and Scirpus triqueter are 0.3895 μmol g^-1 (dry weight, DW) h^-1, 0.3053 μmol g^-1DW h^-1, and 0.6330 μmol g^-1 DW h^-1, While the K_m for H₂PO₄^- are 0.0637 mmol/L, 0.0645 mmol/L, and 0.0702 mmol/L, respectively. Results indicated that the Scirpus triqueter has a significantly higher uptake rate of H₂PO₄^- than Phragmites australis and Typha orientalis, but no differences have been found in the adaptation (tolerance) of the three species to low H₂PO₄^- concentrations. The I_max for NH₄⁺ of Phragmites australis, Typha orientalis, and Scirpus triqueter are 8.995 μmol g^-1DW h^-1, 5.584 μmol g^-1DW h^-1, and 13.819 μmol g^-1DW h^-1, While the K_m for NH₄⁺ are 1.882 mmol/L, 1.787 mmol/L, and 1.874 mmol/L, respectively. The I_max for NO₃^- of Phragmites australis, Typha orientalis, and Scirpus triqueter are 3.374 μmol g^-1DW h^-1, 2.544 μmol g^-1DW h^-1, and 10.146 μmol g^-1DW h^-1, While the K_m for NO₃^- are 0.924 mmol/L, 0.884 mmol/L, and 0.847 mmol/L, respectively. Results indicated that Scirpus triqueter had also highest uptake rates of NH₄⁺ and NO₃^-, was tolerant to low NO₃^- concentrations but did not adapt to (tolerate) low NH₄⁺ concentrations. By contrast, Typha orientalis dislayed the strongest affinity to NH₄⁺ and the highest uptake at low NH₄⁺ concentrations, which the C_min is 1.724 mmol/L lower than Phragmites australis (1.865 mmol/L) and Scirpus triqueter (1.833 mmol/L). Overall the three emergent plants showed higher uptake capacity for NH₄⁺ than for NO₃^-. Nutrient uptake characteristics of the emergent plants are species-specific and influenced by the structure of roots. Outcomes of this research suggest that Scirpus triqueter suits best as pioneering species for ecological restoration of water bodies with high NH₄⁺ and NO₃^- concentrations, while Typha orientalis suits well for stabilizing improved water quality conditions.