The objective of this study was to investigate the basic relationships between spectral reflectance and varying concentrations of sediment in surface waters. An experimental method for determining suspended sediment concentration (SSC) in the water by use of a spectroradiometer above the water surface, in visible and near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths, is applied. The main advantage of the method is the direct comparison of spectral reflectance and the SSC, but it requires an accurate knowledge of the water body and sediment. Therefore numerous spectroradiometric measurements are carried out in situ measurements, for SSC, ranging from zero to 100 percentage and two types of sediment applied in the water tank. The results indicate that the suspended sediment causes increasing spectral reflectance response in waters. We observed that spectral reflectance increases with SSC, first at the lower wavelengths (430-480 nm), then in the middle wavelengths (570-700 nm), and finally, in the NIR domain (800-820 nm); a characteristic maximum reflectance appears at 400-670 nm. Relationships between the wavelength, integral value, and the SSC were evaluated on the basis of the regression analysis. The regression curve for the relation between the wavelength, integral value, and the SSC were determined ($R^2$>0.98). Finally, the specular wavelength can be estimated to recognize the sediment and to improve SC estimation accuracy in the water.