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The present study aimed to investigate the impact of temperature on the quality attributes, particularly lipid oxidation and phospholipid molecular species, of Tai Lake whitebait during hot-air drying. Fresh samples of Tai Lake whitebait were subjected to heat treatment and were dried at temperatures of 40, 50, 60, and 70 °C for 12 h. The results indicated significant and continuous increases in peroxide values (POV), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and saturated fatty acids (SFA) contents during hot-air drying, but reductions in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA). During the hot-air drying process, the mass fraction of triacylglycerol (TAG) and phospholipid (PoL) decreased, while the fractions of diacylglycerol (DAG), monoacylglycerol (MAG) and free fatty acid (FFA) increased. Furthermore, the drying treatment led to a more pronounced reduction in Phosphocholine (PC) content compared to phoethanolamine (PE). A total of 17 phosphatidylcholines (PC), 18 phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), 7 phosphatidylinositol (PI), and 9 phosphatidylserine (PS) molecular species were identified. By comprehensively considering the drying time and quality attributes, 50 °C was selected the ideal temperature for drying. The findings of the investigation revealed that thermal drying significantly influenced the quality attributes and lipid oxidation of Tai Lake whitebait. The insights gained from this study are valuable for improving the drying process for Tai Lake whitebait and enhancing its overall quality. • Lipid oxidation of whitebait were significantly affected by hot-air-drying. • Lipid composition of the Tai Lake whitebait were analyzed comprehensively. • Phospholipid classes in lipid of Tai Lake whitebait was identified. • 50 °C was determined to be the ideal drying temperature for Tai Lake whitebait. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]