Dongting Lake is an important wintering habitat of Cygnus columbianus in China. To explore the effect of water level changes in Dongting Lake on the activities of wintering Cygnus columbianus, satellite tracking was carried out for 18 C. columbianus individuals in the Dongting Lake between 2014 and 2015. The home range of C. columbianus at different water levels during the wintering period were estimated via the Minimum Convex Polygons (MCP) and Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) methods. The MODIS remote sensing data were used to extract the surface water of Dongting Lake during the wintering period and calculate the Submergence Time Index (STI), followed by correlation analysis and spatial superposition analysis of the home range, water level, and STI. The water level restricts the home range size of C. columbianus, which is then significantly reduced with an increase in the water level. During the wintering period, the favorite habitat of C. columbianus is the integrative area of shallow water and grasslands, and the distribution and availability of food resources are the primary reasons for the changes in the home range.