Police sealed off Fossbank after responding to a call from a member of the public who had spotted the body in the water at 11.30am.
Assistance was called in from the regional Police Underwater Search Unit and North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue who launched a boat.
Please quote reference NYP-18112014-0128.
The body was recovered from the river by the fire boat crew just after 12.20pm.
Officers are carrying out inquiries to establish the full the circumstances surrounding the death.
A force spokesperson said the man’s next of kin are still being traced.
“We are not expected to be in a position to name him until Wednesday at the earliest,” he said
“The circumstances of the death are unexplained at this time as the investigation continues on behalf of the coroner.”
Cars were diverted away from Foss Bank and pedestrians turned back as police investigated.
Officers were also stationed at various vantage points over the river to keep the public back, including the Sainsbury’s multi-storey car park and Turnbulls garage.
Enquiries are at a very early stage to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.