Results of the study of the role of dissolved organic matter in migration and distribution of metals among their complex compounds with organic ligands of surface waters are discussed in the paper. It has been shown that in the reservoirs of the Dnieper River, as well as in some other water bodies, the contribution of metal (Al, Fe, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, Cd, and Co) complexes to their total content in the dissolved state accounted for 65− 100%. In this case, the complexes were formed mainly by Al (III), Fe (III), and Cu (II). Thus, the main attention was paid to the study of the influence of the component composition of dissolved organic matter on relationship between the complex compounds of these metals. Water coloration was used as indirect index of the content of humus substances in water bodies of various physical and geographic zones. Its decrease resulted in changes in the component composition of dissolved organic matter. It has been found that in the surface waters of the Forest zone Al (III) and Cu (II) migrate mainly in the form of anionic complexes. The anionic complexes of Fe (III) prevail only in the waters with high coloration. A predominance of Cu (II) in the composition of anionic complexes is typical to water bodies of the Forest-Steppe and Steppe zones. At the same time, the contribution of anionic complexes of Al (III), and especially of Fe (III), essentially decreases with decreasing water coloration.