Acoustic telemetry is a useful method to investigate fish behavior and is widely used to obtain biological information. In this study, the detection ability of a mooring-type acoustic telemetry system and the seasonal changes were studied for survey design and data analysis. The system detection range was examined with an underwater noise model, and seasonal changes were estimated with a ray-tracing program and underwater temperature profile data. The field experiment was conducted with two sets of pingers and six receivers to estimate the difference in detection rate by installation depth and to compare the model estimate. Results indicated that the long-range detection ability of the acoustic telemetry system was significantly affected by underwater temperature. The detection rate rapidly decreased near the sea surface or bottom despite that the near-range Signal to noise ratio was sufficient.