The spectroscopy emission characteristics and the detection limit of trace heavy metal nickel in water was studied based on laser induced breakdown spectroscopy technique, with a 1 064 nm wavelength Nd∶YAG laser as excitation source, and the echelle spectrometer and ICCD detector were used for spectral separation and high sensitive detection with high resolution and wide spectral range. A round flat solid state graphite as matrix was used for element enrichment for reducing water splashing, extending the plasma lifetime and improving the detection sensitivity, and the experimental sample was prepared by titrating a fixed volume of nickel nitrate solution of different concentrations on a fixed area of the graphite matrix. The results show that the better detection delay time is about 700 ns, the spectrum intensity raises with the concentration increase, a good linear relationship is presented at low concentration with a correlation coefficient 0.996 1, and the lower limit of detection of nickel in water with 0.28 mg·L-1 was retrieved. A measurement method for further study of trace heavy metals in water is provided with laser induced breakdown spectroscopy technique.