The optical properties of a waterbody are subjects of research on limnological hydrooptics. The optical properties of, and parameterization methods for, three impurities in Taihu Lake, namely unpigmented suspensions, yellow substance and phytoplankton algae, are analyzed in detail in this paper dealing with the optical types of Taihu Lake waters both in winter and in summer. The results showed that: 1) The optical parameters of suspended particles can be calculated by the application of Mie Theory; 2) The absorption of yellow substance decreases exponentially with increasing wavelength, with the mean value of decreasing rate being about 0.014 nm-1; 3) Taihu Lake waters appeared to be of type PY in winter, with suspended particles and yellow substance being the dominant light absorbers, and type CPY in summer, with suspended particles, yellow substance and phytoplankton algae being the dominant light absorbers; 4) In winter or summer, unpigmented suspension has the main effect on the scattering property of Taihu Lake waters.