Abstract: To investigate the influence of Lemongrass extract on the fishy odor of Yellow River carp. This study focused on the fishy smell value and thiobarbituric acid (thiobarbituric acid, TBA) and sensory score as evaluation indicators to optimize the deodorization process. Using the electronic nose and gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry technology, combined with orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis, the volatile components before and after deodorization were analyzed. The results showed that under the conditions of LE concentration of 1.5%, material-liquid ratio of 1:5 (g:mL), and soaking time of 46 min, the fishy degree value and TBA value were the lowest, which were 1.248 points and 0.264 mg MDA/kg respectively. Electronic nose analysis showed that LE treatment had an inhibitory effect on fishy substances containing sulfur, alcohol, aldehydes and ketones. A total of 42 volatile flavor substances were identified by GC-IMS. Among them, the content of aldehyde compounds was the highest before deodorization, and it was significantly reduced by 76.62% after deodorization treatment. By using the relative odor activity value and the variable projection importance factor, the characteristic compounds of carp before deodorization were screened out as valeraldehyde, butyraldehyde, heptanaldehyde, propionaldehyde, 1-hexaldehyde-M, and 1-hexaldehyde-D. After deodorization treatment, the main characteristic aroma compounds were acetone and ethyl acetate, which could bring pleasant fruity and floral flavors to the fish body. In conclusion, citronella extract can effectively reduce the characteristic fishy smell of Yellow River carp and improve its overall flavor quality, providing a certain theoretical basis for its industrial application in aquatic product processing in the future.