The effects of furrow methods and ratios of organic to inorganic nitrogen (N) on yields of sweet-sticky maize, soil enzyme activities and active carbon fractions at different growth stages were investigated by field experiment in order to obtain water and fertilizer supply mode in improving maize yield and soil quality. The results showed that compared to conventional furrow irrigation (CFI), fixed furrow irrigation (FFI) increased fresh yield of sweet-sticky maize by 12.0% when fertilized with 60% inorganic N + 40% organic N (F3). Compared to the only inorganic N treatment, the 70% inorganic N+30% organic N treatment at CFI and the F3 treatment at FFI increased the fresh yield. Under the same fertilization and irrigation condition, soil urease and invertase activities at the tasselling stage were significantly higher than those at the maturing stage. Compared to the only inorganic N treatment, the treatments combined organic and inorganic N increased the contents of readily oxidizable carbon (ROC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in soils, and the F3 treatment increased most. Compared to the CFI, the alternate furrow irrigation and FFI could influence the activities of invertase and catalase and the contents of ROC and DOC in soils at the tasselling and maturing stages to some extent. The FFI-F3 treatment had the highest activity of invertase and the contents of ROC and DOC in soils at the tasselling and maturing stages and the highest activity of catalase at the tasselling stage. Therefore, the FFI-F3 treatment can enhance the activities of catalase and invertase and increase the contents of ROC and DOC in soils, thus it can increase the fresh yield of sweet-sticky maize.