To explain the riverbank erosion, it is important to determine quantitatively the shear force distribution acting on it. In this study, we use a multi component load cell to measure directly the shear force on the bank. In this way, we obtained the vertical distribution and the depth-average of the shear force acting on the bank. The vertical shear stress distribution was compared to Reynolds stresses near the bank by using LDV. As a result, the usability of the method is high in the direct measurement of the shear force, because the measured values of vertical shear stress distribution were similar to the Reynolds stress distribution near the bank. The slot existing the measured bank portion and surroundings was found to have negligible effects on the flow and measured values.