In recent years, the design of fish passage has taken the swimming capacity of target fish as an important criterion. Fifteen fish species from eight hydropower stations in China, including the four major Chinese carp, Schizothorax and Cobitidae, were selected as target species. Swimming capability was assessed by measuring induced flow velocity (U_ind) and burst swimming speed (U_burst) under identical test conditions. The relationship between U_ind (or U_burst), water temperature (T) and body length (BL) was assessed using multiple linear regression models and the optimal prediction model of swimming capability was constructed. U_ind and U_burst were negatively related to body length, while temperature effect between U_ind and U_burst varied between the three target fish species: U_ind was negatively related to temperature; U_burst was increased with the temperature for the four major Chinese carp and Schizothorax, while the temperature had little effect on U_burst of Cobitidae, which may be related to the special abdominal adsorption behavior of this fish. The percentage of fish either induced to swim (U_ind) or that were not exhausted (U_burst) was plot using survival curves, which was used to set fish passage design criteria. The result showed that 90 % of fish induced to swim were 3.00 BL/s for juvenile four major Chinese carp, 1.67 and 1.27 BL/s for juvenile and adult Schizothorax, 3.22 and 2.09 BL/s for juvenile and adult Cobitidae, respectively. The 90 % of fish were not exhausted were 8.13 BL/s for juvenile four major Chinese carp, 9.27 and 7.64 BL/s for juvenile and adult Schizothorax, 9.61 and 7.77 BL/s for juvenile and adult Cobitidae, respectively. The recommended pool velocity range of fish passage for upper migration was 1.27-7.64 BL/s for adult Schizothorax and 2.09-7.77 BL/s for adult Cobitidae, respectively. The inlet velocity of fish passage for downstream migration was recommended to be less than 8.13, 9.27 and 9.61 BL/s for juvenile four major Chinese carp, juvenile Schizothorax and juvenile Cobitidae, respectively. The results are helpful for the design of fish passage for the main target fish of hydropower stations in China.