To clarify the optimal water regulation strategy for spring wheat in arid areas, this study set up three irrigation methods [film-mulched drip irrigation (FD), non-mulched drip irrigation (ND), non-mulched subsurface drip irrigation (MD)] and five water treatments [CK: 80% field capacity; W1-W4: irrigation amounts were 90%, 80%, 70%, and 60% of CK, respectively] in the Shiyang River Basin during 2023-2024. The effects of these treatments on the phenotype, yield, and water use efficiency (WUE) of spring wheat were investigated. The results showed that under the same water treatment, the leaf area index (LAI), SPAD value, and stem diameter (SD) significantly decreased with the reduction in irrigation amount (p < 0.05), while plant height (HC) was less affected. FD performed optimally under the W1 treatment: its yield reached 11,868.93 kgha(-1), which was 54.88% and 38.72% higher than that of ND and MD, respectively; and its WUE reached 4.36 kg/m(3), which was 123.19% and 100.83% higher than that of ND and MD, respectively. ND performed better under the CK treatment: its yield was 10,044.33 kgha(-1), which was 27.07% and 12.25% higher than that of FD and MD, respectively. Annual precipitation had a significant impact: when precipitation was 175 mm in 2023, ND showed an obvious advantage; when precipitation decreased to 110 mm in 2024, FD exhibited stronger stress resistance. The study concludes that FD is suitable for moderate to severe water stress, while ND is suitable for sufficient water conditions or mild stress. This can provide a basis for water-saving and the high-yield production of spring wheat in arid areas.