Unionid freshwater mussels depend on host fish for reproduction and dispersal as their larvae require host fish to develop into juvenile mussels during their early life history. Therefore, host fish are integral in understanding the distribution of mussels. The goal of this study was to examine fish movement in relation to the distribution and density of mussels at a micro- (~1 m) and meso-habitat scale (~10 m), and to advance ecological models linking fish and mussel population and community dynamics. We predicted that fish would spend significantly more time (= residency time) in microhabitat with higher mussel densities than in microhabitat with lower mussel densities. We used passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags and a temporary stationary array of antennas to quantify fine-scale fish movement within a 100 m reach of the San Saba River, Texas. Over a two-week period, we PIT tagged 510 fishes representing 19 species and tracked movement patterns for five consecutive days. We positioned eight antennas across a gradient of mussel densities and georeferenced their locations to quantify movement distances. We recorded movements by 49 individual fish (12 species). The average movement distance across all individuals was 10 m (range = 0–96.8 m) and the average residency time (time spent at an antenna) was 58 seconds (range = 2–2,348 sec). There was no relationship between mussel density and fish residency time. Results from this study will be used to inform testing of this concept across a broader gradient of mussel densities and our work will ultimately inform ecological models in which residency time serves as a proxy for fish host inoculation, and fish movement estimates serve as a proxy for mussel dispersal. Our field methods and modeling framework are transferable to other river systems and fish and mussel assemblages.