Abstract: River bends are the locations that initiate ice jams, and their subsequent development and accumulation of the incoming ice cause a water level rise. Study on ice jam process in river bends and its formation mechanism is a key issue of river ice research. This paper presents the results of field observation on the Yellow in the 2013-2014 winters and examines the mechanism of ice jam formation in various channel bends. We have applied DynaRICE a two-dimensional river ice model to simulation of the ice transport and ice jamming processes in the Sanhuhekou bend. The results show three key factors of ice jam formation: upstream ice concentration, upstream and downstream flow conditions, and riverbed bathymetry. This study provides an insight into the possible locations of ice jam initiation and a technical support to further study in ice prevention.