Purpose Spring-fed wetlands are a wide category of natural wetlands. However, information on methane (CH4) fluxes and their influencing variables is rarely known in spring-fed wetlands, and should therefore be prioritized for additional research. In this study, in situ CH4 emissions and their relationships with biotic and abiotic variables were observed and determined in a spring-fed wetland of the arid and semi-arid region in northern China. Methods In situ CH4 emissions were mainly determined by the method of static closed-chamber plus gas chromatography. Results Overall CH4 emissions were observed at 6.9 +/- 2.9 mg m(- 2) h(- 1) (n = 5 habitats) in the wetland from November 2019 to December 2019 and from June 2020 to June 2021. Substantial CH4 was dominantly emitted by plant-mediated transport in the growing seasons. Water level slightly fluctuated throughout the growing seasons due to the adjustment of spring outpouring, a prominent feature of the wetland, but it largely fluctuated during intermittent flooding. CH4 emissions were significantly correlated with air/soil temperatures at seasonal and annual scales. Conclusion CH4 emissions in this spring-fed wetland were much higher in the growing than non-growing seasons, which can be mainly explained by the effects of plant species and temperature. The vast numbers of spring-fed wetlands are threatened by climate warming, highlighting the need for further research on their potential implications for the CH4 budgets of arid and semi-arid regions.