In Japanese rivers, turbidity is measured by telemetric water quality monitoring systems, and this data is valuable for monitoring sediment transport to protect against disasters and maintain a biologically healthy river environment. Observation during rain and its runoff is crucial for sediment transport, but it is not easy to expand monitoring coverage other than relying on hands. This study investigated the use of camera images and fiber-optic observations to enhance turbidity monitoring economically. We deployed a trail camera at 17.03 km from the mouth of the Yamato River, Japan, to acquire images during rain. As a result of various examinations using camera images, this study analyzed CIE-L*a*b* color space and the number of pixels of white waves on the surface during rainfall; a correlation was obtained between the number of white pixels generated by waves and turbidity. We also assembled a device using a fiber-optic sensor to measure the vertical profiles of turbidity and installed it at the same site below the water quality monitoring station, which also measures turbidity. The vertical distance between each channel was 25 cm. The feature of this device is that a pair of an amplifier unit and an optical fiber costs about 350 US dollars, which is inexpensive for a device. Especially, only the optical fiber is submerged in water. The newly developed device using optic fiber sensors could remotely monitor the vertical profiles of suspended solids (SS) converted from those of light intensity. The maximum values of turbidity and SS appeared almost at the peak water level or a little earlier, and a nearly constant vertical distribution was obtained. Finally, having found that the fiber optic system could be used for turbidity monitoring, we packaged it into a portable device and performed measurements at other sites.