YOLOv5 is currently one of the mainstream algorithms for object detection. In this paper, we propose the FRL-YOLO model specifically for river floating object detection. The algorithm integrates the Fasternet block into the C3 module, conducting convolutions only on a subset of input channels to reduce computational load. Simultaneously, it effectively captures spatial features, incorporates reparameterization techniques into the feature extraction network, and introduces the RepConv design to enhance model training efficiency. To further optimize network performance, the ACON-C activation function is employed. Finally, by employing a structured non-destructive pruning approach, redundant channels in the model are trimmed, significantly reducing the model’s volume. Experimental results indicate that the algorithm achieves an average precision value (mAP) of 79.3%, a 0.4% improvement compared to yolov5s. The detection speed on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card reaches 623.5 fps/s, a 22.8% increase over yolov5s. The improved model is compressed to a volume of 2 MB, representing only 14.7% of yolov5s.