Freshwater fish populations have declined worldwide due to water regulation, with dams and weirs obstructing critical migration and connectivity pathways needed for flourishing communities. Fishways provide a solution by enabling fish to navigate past barriers, however many of the traditional designs are costly to retrofit to the numerous barriers that exist. To tackle this pressing challenge, we are developing a cost-effective and versatile alternative, the Tube Fishway. This system harnesses the hydraulic head of water upstream to generate an unsteady surge through a pipe, swifty propelling fish over a barrier in seconds. Previously, the Tube Fishway demonstrated safe laboratory lifting of native Australian fish, and successful hydraulic operation in field installations. Here, we present results from the first set of ecological field trials, whereby wild Australian fish were successfully attracted and safely transported. Additionally, we discuss insights gained using a DIDSON (Dual-Frequency Identification Sonar) camera focused on the fishway entrance, which revealed fish behaviour in relation to attraction flows and fishway mechanics. The Tube Fishway’s ability to attract and transport a wide variety of native Australian fish highlights its potential as a promising and cost-effective alternative for reconnecting fish passage, thereby supporting the recovery of our freshwater fish populations.