The distributions of 210Pb and 137Cs in the core sediments of Chaohu Lake and Taibai Lake were determined. It took on typical peaks in 1963 for 137Cs activity in the profile, and the concentration of 210Pbex decreased exponentially along the mass depth, indicating a stable sedimentary environment. The calculated chronology according to the CIC and CRS model was discrepant with the 137Cs age (1963 AD); denoting the influence of land-derived 210Pb from the atmospheric deposition and its discharge from the lake. Therefore, the composite model should be optimal, i.e. different formulae were used for the chronology calculation according to the concentration of 210Pbex for the upper and lower sections of the sediment cores divided by the 137Cs peak depth.