In situ-satellite match-ups of radiometric data are established in the turbid waters of the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea. Inherent optical properties (IOPs) are retrieved by match-up radiometric data and multi-band quasi-analytical algorithm (QAA). By comparing in situ spectra-retrieved IOPs with the satellite ones of moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) and medium resolution imaging spectrometer (MERIS), the accuracy of satellite-derived IOPs is quantified. The median of the absolute percentage difference is found to be approximately 20% for the total absorption coefficient a_t(\lambda) at green and blue-green bands, and 30% for particulate material backscattering coefficient b_bp(\lambda) throughout the visible bands. The spatial pattern and temporal variability of IOPs along the eastern coast of China are clarified based on satellite images and the QAA model.