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AbstractPreexisting discontinuities and the water affect the fracture evolution process as well as the rock stability the most extensively. To ensure operational safety, the effects of water on the mechanical properties of fissured rock masses must be understood well. In this study, a series of uniaxial compressive tests is conducted on both dry and saturated fissured specimens with varying fissure angles. Real-time acoustic emission and digital image correlation are applied to monitor the fracture evolution process. The failure mode is investigated by identifying the types of cracks present in the ultimate failure forms of the fissured specimens. The results indicate that (1) the saturated and dry specimens exhibit significantly different strengths and stiffnesses, wherein the saturated specimens exhibit weaker strength by 25.64%–32.59% and a lower elastic modulus by 20.30%–29.22%. (2) The fissure angle and water jointly control the failure mode of fissured sandstone. (3) The observed fracture evolution processes can be classified into six distinct stages to facilitate the understanding of rock failure mechanisms. (4) The presence of water accelerates the nucleation of microcracks at the tips of the prefabricated fissures, enlarges the range of microcrack coalescence, and facilitates the emergence of unstable cracks owing to an increase in pore water pressure and a decrease in the friction resistance of crack surfaces.