A space-time code (STC) detection signal is designed for multistatic sonar to distinguish the multiple access echoes in the shallow water, and a time reversal (TR) copy-correlation detection method is presented for solving the problem of multi-path sub-channel differences when the vertical array is oblique. STC detection signal has a good orthogonality through modulating with pseudo-random signals, can distinguish multiple access target echoes while combating with sub-channel attenuation. The vertical array affected by current is oblique, its multi-path sub-channel differences causing signals from different sub-channels can not focus on the receiving end, so the array gain decreases. Meanwhile, it causes resolution to decline and the error rate of signal judgment to rise. Channel training signal is designed to estimate the sub-channel multipath environment, and the best matched detection signal for sub-channel differences is got through virtual time reversal mirror (VTRM) with the estimated channels and the received signal being detected by TR copy-correlation. Simulation results of tristatic sonar (two transmitters and one receiver) show that the SPC detection signal and TR copy-correlation can meet the requirements of multistatic sonar detection and distinguish the multiple access echoes in low SIR and complex channel environment. The best matched detection signal is got through VTRM (virtual time reversal mirror) with the estimated channels, and the received signal is detected by TR copy-correlation. Simulation results of tristatic sonar (two transmitters and one receiver) show that the STC detection signal and TR copy-correlation can meet the requirements of multistatic sonar detection and distinguish the multiple access echoes in low SIR environment.