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Abstract Precise discrete fracture network (DFN) is very significant for fractured reservoirs due to its considerable power to help understand the complex nature of reservoir, predict production response, and create a development plan. Typically, many types of static data, including seismic, wellbore, outcrop, geomechanical, and geostatistical data, are integrated to construct a DFN. A potential problem is the mismatching of inter-well connection between DFN and field dynamic data. Therefore, a local optimization method is proposed in this paper to improve DFN for precise inter-well connections using field tracer data based on an improved simulated annealing algorithm. The proposed method is validated with two field case examples by largely improving the performance of numerical simulation. The results of optimization are also reasonable from the perspective of geostatistics and geomechanics. Optimization has a minimum effect on the original fracture density model. Additionally, the percentage of fractures to be updated in each perturbation of the proposed method decides the speed and precision level of the optimization. The improved simulated annealing algorithm can also be widely used for other optimization problems. Highlights • A novel optimization method is proposed to fill the gap of inter-well connection between initial DFN and dynamic field data. • In the proposed method, field tracer data are integrated and an improved simulated annealing algorithm is applied. • The method is validated with a field example, by largely improving the performance of numerical simulation. • Optimized DFN is compatible in the view of geostatistics and geomechanics. • The proposed improved simulated annealing algorithm may also be well used for other similar optimization problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]