To assess the nutritional quality of pond-reared and lake-cultured Eriocheir sinensis, this study utilized compound feed (CF) and chilled fish (CTF) to fatten E. sinensis for one month and compared their edible rate, conventional nutrients, fatty acids, and free amino acids with lake-cultured E. sinensis (LC). The findings are as follows: (1) The gonadosomatic index (GSI) of fattened E. sinensis with chilled fish was significantly higher than those fattened with compound feed and lake-cultured E. sinensis, while the hepatosomatic index (HSI) was significantly lower compared to those with compound feed and lake-cultured E. sinensis (P<0.05). No significant differences in meat yield and edible rate were observed among the three groups of E. sinensis (P>0.05). (2) The total lipid content in hepatopancreas of E. sinensis fattened with compound feed and lake-cultured were significantly higher than those fattened with chilled fish, while the water and crude protein contents in hepatopancreas were significantly lower than those of E. sinensis fattened with chilled fish (P<0.05). The fattened E. sinensis with CTF had significantly lower water and total lipid contents in gonads than lake-cultured E. sinensis, while crude protein content was significantly higher than that of lake-cultured E. sinensis (P<0.05), and there was no significant difference in ovarian nutrients (P>0.05). Crude protein content in meat of female lake-cultured E. sinensis was significantly higher than those of E. sinensis fattened with CF and CTF (P<0.05), with no significant difference in other nutrients (P>0.05). (3) The content of C18:2n6 (LA), ∑PUFA and ∑n-6PUFA in the edible tissues of E. sinensis fattened with CF was significantly higher than those fattened with CTF and lake-cultured E. sinensis, and the contents of EPA and DHA in the hepatopancreas and ovary of E. sinensis fattened with CTF were significantly higher than those of E. sinensis fattened with CF and lake-cultured E. sinensis (P<0.05). (4) The content of glutamic acid (Glu) and aspartic acid (Asp) in lake-cultured E. sinensis were significantly higher than those of CF and CTF fattened E. sinensis, while serine (Ser), leucine (Leu), tyrosine (Tyr) and lysine (Lys) content was lower in those of CF and CTF fattened E. sinensis, and the contents of umami and sweet amino acids in the gonads of lake-cultured E. sinensis were significantly higher than those of the two fattened E. sinensis (P<0.05). In conclusion, CF can enhance gonadal development in E. sinensis, yielding the highest GSI. There are notable differences in conventional nutrients in the hepatopancreas and testis among the three types of E. sinensis. The fatty acid composition of the two types of fattened E. sinensis is superior to that of lake-cultured E. sinensis, while lake-cultured E. sinensis exhibit the highest umami taste and sweet amino acid content.