To develop more efficient irrigation technologies and a reasonable and convenient irrigation scheduling for winter wheat production in the North China Plain (NCP), a field experiment with five soil matric potential (SMP) treatments under irrigation with micro-sprinkling hoses was conducted in 2013–2014 and 2014–2015. The SMP thresholds were − 10, − 20, − 30, − 40 and − 50 kPa and monitored using tensiometers at 0.2 m depth and 1.2 m (horizontal distance) from the micro-sprinkling hose. The results indicated that soil moisture consumption occurred mainly in the 0–80 cm soil layer during the anthesis and grain filling stages. The different SMP values had no significant effects on winter wheat plant height, maximum leaf area index, dry biomass, grain yield and yield components and water productivity (WP), but there was a tendency for all these indicators to reach their highest value when the SMP value was around − 40 kPa. Compared with the average winter wheat yield, irrigation amount and WP from local surface irrigation, the − 40 kPa SMP threshold treatment resulted in a yield increase of 10.7%, water savings of 46.5% and WP increase of 5.7%. In the NCP, the SMP threshold of − 40 kPa is recommended to schedule micro-sprinkling irrigation for winter wheat.