Abstract: Water inrush seriously restricts the safe production of coal mine. The prevention and control of water inrush disaster is a systematic engineering which involves many disciplines and methods. Distinguishing sources of water inrush quickly and forecasting water inflow accurately are important links for the prevention and control of mine water inrush. In terms of fine investigation of geology environment of mine, the research on the characteristics of circulation and alternation of groundwater, and the research and application of mathematical models, the paper summed up the main domestic and international progress in prediction of coal mine water inrush, and discussed various methods of distinguishing sources of water inrush and forecasting water inflow, and summarized the theory, application status and application conditions of the methods.