This study investigates the impact of extreme heat on lake warming in China from 1985 to 2022 using a hybrid physically-based/statistical model. The results show that heat extremes are increasing at a rate of about 2.08 days per decade and an intensity of about 0.03 °C/day-decade in China. After removing heat extremes, the warming rate of lake surface water temperature decreases from 0.16 °C/decade to 0.13 °C/decade. Heat extremes contribute significantly to long-term lake surface temperature changes, accounting for 36.5% of the warming trends within the studied lakes. The study highlights the importance of accounting for heat extremes in climate impact studies, as they can have substantial and long-lasting effects on lake ecosystems. The findings underscore the need for robust monitoring and management systems to address the increasing frequency and intensity of heat extremes, which pose severe threats to aquatic ecosystems and human well-being.This study investigates the impact of extreme heat on lake warming in China from 1985 to 2022 using a hybrid physically-based/statistical model. The results show that heat extremes are increasing at a rate of about 2.08 days per decade and an intensity of about 0.03 °C/day-decade in China. After removing heat extremes, the warming rate of lake surface water temperature decreases from 0.16 °C/decade to 0.13 °C/decade. Heat extremes contribute significantly to long-term lake surface temperature changes, accounting for 36.5% of the warming trends within the studied lakes. The study highlights the importance of accounting for heat extremes in climate impact studies, as they can have substantial and long-lasting effects on lake ecosystems. The findings underscore the need for robust monitoring and management systems to address the increasing frequency and intensity of heat extremes, which pose severe threats to aquatic ecosystems and human well-being.