The lake wetland ecosystem is one of the most important terrestrial carbon sinks, and its soil organic carbon (SOC) storage changes will have a significant impact on global climate. Under the background of global climate changes, lake wetlands are seriously threatened in their function as ‘carbon sink’, due to the ecological problems such as water levels declining and water area shrinking. Although a large number of studies have been published to investigate the dynamic changes of organic carbon in wetland soils, the results are so diverse in research sites, experimental methods and focuses that it is difficult to draw consistent conclusions. Therefore, it is particularly important to have a detailed understanding of the evolutionary trend of SOC storage and transformation processes in lake wetlands. In this paper, we summarized the relevant national and international research literature on SOC in lake wetlands, identified the current research hotspots and deficiencies of soil organic carbon in lake wetlands from three aspects: organic carbon formation, turnover and stability. And combined with the current situation of lake wetlands, we described the factors influencing the dynamic changes of organic carbon. Existing studies have shown that plant carbon, especially wetland litter carbon, was the main source of SOC in lake wetlands. However, the role of microbial carbon in the formation of SOC cannot be neglected, and the ratio of plant and microbial carbon contributions to lake wetland carbon stocks may exhibit spatial heterogeneity. The SOC turnover of wetland was mainly regulated by microorganisms, but soil fauna of small and medium-sized compartments also played an important role, which might be both drivers and contributors. The study suggested that incorporating soil fauna into the model of wetland SOC turnover was necessary to obtain a more accurate assessment of carbon turnover processes in lake wetlands. Organic matter-mineral chemical binding state conservation was the most important mechanism for maintaining the stability of SOC in lake wetlands, and a variety of biotic and abiotic (climate, hydrology, etc.) factors could have a directly or indirectly effect on the stable storage of SOC. At present, the mechanism for maintaining SOC stability in lake wetlands is still based on the theoretical model of terrestrial or marine ecosystems, and further evaluation is needed for the specific applicability in lake wetlands. The purpose of this study is to summarize the research progress on the formation and transformation of soil organic carbon in lake wetlands, and to provide literature references and research ideas for peer researchers.