Police say a neighbor was fishing in the canal along Temperance avenue just south of McKinley and called 911 shortly after 10:30 a.m. Thursday.
Officers arrived and called in members of the Fresno County Sheriff's dive team to help pull the body from the water.
At this point, the gender and identity of the person are not known.
Police are also investigating how the person ended up in the canal.
Investigators want to remind the community that local canals may be tempting during the hot summer months but can be dangerous.