This paper summarizes the status of fishway planning and construction in recent years in China. Two typical cases(the Changzhou Water Control Project and the Cuijiaying Navigation-Hydropower Junction)are presented to illustrate the current status of fishways in China. The restrictive factors in the construction and operation of China’s fishways are analyzed with regard to technologies, supervision and management, operational maintenance, and policy systems. Some suggestions, including strengthening research on key technologies, formulating and implementing basins’ environmental protection plans, and implementing adaptive management and accelerating the improvement of relevant policies and regulations, are provided, in order to promote the rapid and healthy development of fishways in China.