PURPOSE: To continuously and efficiently recover floating matter, by a method wherein the one end of a guide arm is rockably coupled to each of both sides at the floating matter convey-in end of a shore conveyor, and a rotary cutter mechanism is mounted in a manner to span between the other ends of the guide arms.

CONSTITUTION: A floating matter recovery device 1 is installed to a shore G of a dam D where floating matter W gathers, and a cutter shaft 11 is driven for rotation through a transmission 13 by means of a driving device 12. The floating mtter W in front of a cutter 7 is drawn in a cutter blade, and after cutting, the matter is pushed in a section part H surrounded with guide arms 6a and 6b. With a shore conveyor 2 driven for rotation, the floating matter W gathering at both sides 2a at a floating matter convey-in end is gradually placed on the shore conveyor 2 for landing. This, since the cut width of a rotary cutter is wide, increases a width, resulting in the possibility to recover the floating matter over a wide range.