Based on the data obtained from four cruises in November (autumn) 2014, May (spring) and August (summer) 2015, and January (winter) 2016, the structure of zooplankton community in Lingshui Bay, including species composition, abundance, dominant species, and species diversity, was studied. A total of 94 zooplankton species and 21 types of pelagic larvae were identified. The most dominant group of zooplankton was copepods (38 species), followed by hydromedusae (11 species), and Chaetognatha (8 species), accounting for 40.43%, 11.70%, and 8.51% of the total species, respectively. The remaining groups were represented by 1 to 6 species per group. Based on species composition and ecological distribution, the zooplankton community in Lingshui Bay mainly comprised three ecological groups, including eurythermal euryhaline group, warm water coastal group, and warm water pelagic group; the dominant species were distributed mainly in the former two groups. No dominant species was widespread throughout all the seasons. Appendiculata was the only dominant group all year-round. Pelagic larvae formed an important group in Lingshui Bay. Their abundance in winter (lower water temperature) was higher than in spring (higher water temperature), which was different from that in subtropical waters. This suggests that in Lingshui Bay, lower seawater temperature was no longer the main factor determining zooplankton abundance. The abundance and biomass of zooplankton were highest in autumn, followed by winter, summer, and finally, spring. Both the species diversity indices were consistent in seasonal and horizontal variation, being higher in spring and summer than in autumn and winter, and higher in the outer bay than the inner bay. Two communities, from the inner and outer bays, were identified by clustering analysis, which can be mainly attributed to the barrier caused by the terrain. Furthermore, we measured temperature, salinity, concentration of chlorophyll a, phytoplankton abundance, and concentration of dissolved oxygen and determined the responses of the zooplankton community to these factors. Salinity was the primary factor influencing zooplankton community structure in Lingshui Bay, based on Pearson's correlation analysis. Based on the annual biomass of zoo-plankton in Lingshui Bay, potential productivity of zooplankton was estimated to be 2.24×10⁴ kg. The abundance of zooplankton in Lingshui Bay has changed dramatically with different seasons. Thus, it is necessary to continuously monitor zooplankton abundance in Lingshui Bay over a long period to better understand the actual prey situation.