Worldwide, freshwater ecosystems are facing increasing levels of threat due to the contamination from heavy metals like cadmium, lead, chromium, copper, zinc, and mercury discharged into the system from industry, agriculture, and residential sources. Since heavy metals are known to be persistent and accumulate in living tissues, bioassay involving endemic aquatic insects has emerged as a well-accepted alternative method to physiochemical assessment of water quality. In this research paper, we have summarised the findings of twenty-two studies on the bioaccumulation of heavy metals by various species of aquatic insects to assess their effectiveness as bioindicators. Literature search followed by extraction and statistical analysis of BAF values, taxa richness response, and morphological abnormalities have been performed. The results indicate that BAF values for zinc and copper tend to be consistently high among the metals examined, while the richness of EPT species is inversely proportional to increasing metal loads, thereby indicating the pollution sensitivity of both metals. The deformity of chironomid mouthparts has been observed to be an efficient and cost-effective indicator of early pollution levels. In this regard, insect-based biomonitoring should be incorporated into river monitoring programs.