Abstract: Objective In black soil region of Northeast China, long periods of bare soil surface in winter aggravate snowmelt erosion and soil quality degradation. Effective cover crop strategies are urgent needed during this fallow period. Methods Using Zea mays L. as the control, five winter cover crop treatments were established, including Triticum aestivum L, Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn, Medicago sativa L, and Vicia villosa Roth were selected as single crops, and Medicago sativa- Vicia villosa misture. Soil physicochemical properties, aggregate stability, soil anti-erodibility and anti-scourability were measured, and a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method combined with entropy weighting was applied. Results The study found that: 1) Triticum aestivum significantly reduced soil bulk density and increased soil total porosity; Medicago sativa significantly increased soil organic matter content (4.36 g/kg higher than Zea mays); and the Medicago sativa- Vicia villosa significantly increased soil total nitrogen content (0.23 g/kg higher than Zea mays); 2) Agropyron cristatum markedly increased the proportion of large soil aggregates (>0.25 mm) and mean weight diameter, showing the strongest aggregate stability. 3) The anti-erodibility index of Triticum aestivum and Medicago sativa- Vicia villosa was 35% and 45% higher than the control, respectively; Medicago sativa has the highest anti-scourability index, which is 5.5 times the control. 4) Comprehensive evaluation ranked Medicago sativa- Vicia villosa was the most effective in improving soil erosion resistance. The order of improving erosion resistance of winter cover crops was: Medicago sativa- Vicia villosa > Agropyron cristatum > Vicia villosa > Triticum aestivum > Medicago sativa > Zea mays. Conclusions Planting winter cover crops after Zea mays harvest significantly enhanced the soil properties and structure, thereby strengthening erosion resistance. Among them, the legume (Medicago sativa L.)-legume (Vicia villosa Roth) misture showed the best performance, demonstrating its potential for application in this area, and providing a scientific basis for erosion control and sustainable management of black soils of Northeast China.