Abstract: The development height of the water-conducting fracture zone is one of the most important parameters for coal mining under water bodies, and it relates to the safety of coal mining under water bodies. The high-stress soft rock environment is complex, differs from soft rocks in the traditional sense, and exhibits different deformation patterns compared to medium-hard rock masses. To obtain the development height of the water-conducting fracture zone in high-stress soft rock environments and to grasp the failure law of overburden in such environments, it determines the uniaxial compressive strength of rocks in the Anxin Coalfield through rock mechanics testing and classify the types of overburden strength. It measures the development height of the caving zone and the water-conducting fracture zone in the 4506 working face of Xinbai Coal Mine using methods such as drilling leakage volume and color drilling television peering. Combined with similar simulation experiments, it analyzes the evolution law of overburden fractures during mining at the working face, and compares and analyzes the differences in the fracture-to-mining ratio between traditional soft and medium-hard types. The results show that the overburden strength type of the Anxin Coalfield is classified as medium, but it exhibits the characteristics of high-stress soft rock. Under the condition of fully mechanized top-coal caving mining in a high-stress soft rock environment, the 5 coal seam caving ratio is 6 and the fracturing ratio is 14.3. These values serve as an important basis for the prevention and control of water hazards in mine roofs and the formulation of safety measures. The height of the water-conducting fracture zone gradually increases as the working face advances, but after advancing a certain distance, the development height of the water-conducting fracture zone no longer increases and tends to stabilize. Compared with the empirical formula in the Guidelines for Coal Pillar Reserving and Mining under Buildings, Water Bodies, Railways and Major Roadways, the fracturing ratio of fully mechanized top-coal caving mining in the Anxin Coalfield falls between the traditional medium-soft and medium-hard overburden fracturing ratios, indicating the uniqueness of high-stress soft rock. The research results provide a theoretical basis and practical reference for the failure law of overburden in high-stress soft rock environments.