This dataset contains fish trajectory data recorded downstream of a single vertical slot in a true to scale hydraulic flume. The dataset was generated for a spatio-temporal analysis of jet approach, jet entry, exposure time, and swimming velocities of fish under two hydraulic conditions, a low-fluctuating flow (LFF) and a high-fluctuating flow (HFF) representative of vertical-slot fishway hydraulics.

Fish positions were obtained from synchronized video recordings using a semi-automatic tracking workflow. The dataset is provided as two separate files, one for LFF and one for HFF. Each file contains two-dimensional fish trajectory data (x–y positions) of juvenile roach (Rutilus rutilus; mean length = 0.13 m) recorded with a framerate of 19 Hz in a restricted area downstream of the vertical slot.