The inherent optical properties are needed when establishing the semi-analytic model in the ocean color retrieval algorithm. Using the in-situ measurements, a retrieval model for inherent optical properties from remote sensing reflectance was established. The in-situ data measured in the 2003 spring cruise over the Yellow and East China Seas is introduced. The measurement method for remote sensing reflectance, particle backscattering and absorption coefficients are detailed. Based on the bio-optical model, the inherent optical properties were retrieved by optimization of Nelder-Mead simplex. The retrieval results of the absorption and backscattering coefficients for the material other than pure water were compared with the counterpart of the in-situ measurements. The comparison shows that the root-mean-square relative error for the absorption coefficient of materials other than water is less than 33%. The value is 30% for the particle backscattering coefficient. The analysis of the error shows that the retrieval model established in this paper can provide an efficient approach to retrieving the absorption and backscattering coefficients. The retrieval model can provide a reference for the application of remotely sensed data to the research on the bio-optical properties of Yellow and East China Seas.