How to Gut a Fish (And Cut Fish Fillets or Steaks)

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Get expert advice on cleaning fish from a professional fishing instructor
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Cleaning and gutting are essential skills if you want to prepare a whole fish for a meal. Luckily, it’s a pretty fast and easy process once you know what to do! We spoke to experienced professional fishing instructor Michael Reynolds to show you exactly how to gut and clean your fish , fillet it , and remove the scales . Whether you’re cleaning a freshly caught fish on your boat or getting ready to toss it in the oven at home, we’ve got all the information you need. Keep scrolling to learn more!

How do you gut a fish?

Fishing instructor Michael Reynolds says to insert a sharp knife into the anus of the fish and slice along the belly toward the gills. Hold the fish so that you’re cutting away from yourself. Pry the cut open and remove the gills and guts by pulling them with your hands. Rinse out the insides with cool, clean water.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Cleaning and Gutting the Fish

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Clean/Gut a Fish
    Set your fish up in a sink or cleaning station. Place your fish under a stream of cold water and rub its body with both hands. A thorough rinse will get any slime, dirt, and debris off the scales. [1] This will keep unwanted gunk from getting into the body of the fish when you cut it.
    • If you’re using a cleaning station, always discard the carcass and guts in the grinder, and clean up after yourself when you’re done.
    • If you’re squeamish, wear rubber gloves to keep your hands clean while you work.

    Meet the wikiHow Expert

    Michael Reynolds is a professional fishing instructor with over 40 years of fishing experience. He’s passionate about sharing his knowledge with beginners and is licensed and bonded with the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW).

  2. On a stable cutting surface, line your fish up so that the belly is facing you. Tilt the fish at a 45-degree angle with the head facing away from you. With the sharp side of your fillet knife facing the fish’s head, slide the tip of your fillet knife into the anus of the fish. [2] Insert it about 1–2 inches (2.5–5.1 cm) into the vent, depending on the size of your catch.
    • The vent is the lowest portion of a fish’s underside. The fish’s anus is the small opening near the bottom of the tail section. It’s usually a different color from the rest of the vent.
    • “Use a sharp, strong knife,” Reynolds recommends. “I always carry a sharpening stone with me, too.” [3]
    • How soon after catching a fish should you gut it? Clean and gut your catch as soon as possible. [4] You can keep it on ice ungutted for a day or 2, but you should “slit the throat of the fish and let it bleed out so less blood is trapped in the meat,” explains Reynolds. “The meat yield will then be a higher grade quality.” [5]
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  3. Watermark wikiHow to Clean/Gut a Fish
    Keep a firm grip on your knife and move it up and down in 0.5 in (1.3 cm) intervals as you slide it through the vent of the fish. Reynolds warns to “never cut with the motion of the knife towards the body. In other words, the motion of the knife should be away from yourself, so start at the anus and slice towards the gills.” [6] Cut until you’ve reached 1–2 inches (2.5–5.1 cm) beneath the fish’s mouth.
    • To get a good grip, Reynolds advises using “a steel mesh glove to hold the fish and to protect your hand from the knife.” [7]
    • You don’t want to cut too deeply into the fish’s belly as you’re cutting it. If you rupture the intestines, you’ll end up with a nasty mess inside your fish.
    • If you plan on removing the head later, you can cut through the throat and the gills as you’re finishing the cut. [8]
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Clean/Gut a Fish
    Without ripping your cut, carefully spread the two sides of the fish open 2–6 inches (5.1–15.2 cm) at the vent. “The next step is to remove the gills by pulling them out by hand or cutting them out,” Reynolds says. “Then, remove the guts, which are also pulled out by hand.” [9] Pinch the organs where they connect to the head between your thumb and index finger, then gently pull them out at the root. Reach towards the tail of the fish and slowly pull out the guts and entrails. [10]
    • Inspect the body cavity for any remaining organs and remove them by hand.
    • Discard the organs in an appropriate trash bin. At a cleaning station, drop them in the grinder to get rid of them.
    • This step can be a bit challenging if you’re squeamish. Wear gloves or use a spoon and knife to remove the guts to make it more tolerable. Think of it like a cut of meat instead of a whole fish—you’re just removing the parts you don’t want to eat.

    Tip: Pulling out the guts, gills, and entrails is typically easy. There shouldn’t be much resistance, and you might not need to cut anything with your knife at all.

  5. Some fish have a small kidney on the inside of their spine near their midsection or along the length of the spine. Look along the interior side of the spine for a small bean-shaped organ. If your fish has a kidney, scoop it out with a spoon. [11]
  6. Watermark wikiHow to Clean/Gut a Fish
    In a large sink or cleaning area, hold your fish vent-side up. Turn on a steady stream of cold water and spread the stomach open. Let the water run through your fish’s abdominal cavity while you use your hands or a spoon to rub the interior walls of your fish’s body. This will remove any remaining residue from the organs and clean the flesh. [12]
    • Wash your fish for at least 1 minute to ensure that every part of the fish’s abdominal cavity gets rinsed. This is especially important if you’re cooking the fish whole.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Filleting a Fish

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Clean/Gut a Fish
    Lay your fish flat on a cutting surface. Locate the fish’s gills and move your knife 1–2 in (2.5–5.1 cm) behind them. With your blade facing downwards, turn your knife slightly towards the head. Brace the fish’s body with your nondominant hand while you cut at a 15-degree angle down to the spine. Flip the fish over and repeat the cut on the opposite side. [13]
    • If the head isn’t fully removed by your 2 cuts, you can grip it and twist it off to fully remove it.
    • Some fish, like trout, are traditionally cooked with the head still attached.

    Tip: You can cut directly downwards behind the gills if you’d like, but there’s a good chunk of flesh that you’re leaving behind. There’s a lot of flesh stored in the fish’s body right under the gills. Cutting at an angle ensures that you leave it intact.

  2. Watermark wikiHow to Clean/Gut a Fish
    From where you removed the head, “measure back 1 inch and cut through the whole fish,” explains Reynolds. “Use a meat cleaver to cut fish steaks, and chop them. Don’t saw through,” he adds. [14]
    • Repeat this process, leaving 1 inch (2.5 cm) of flesh between each cut to steak an entire fish.
    • “One inch thick is the recommended portion width because after pan-frying for 7 minutes per side over medium-high heat in a nicely oiled pan, it will be cooked to perfection,” Reynolds explains. [15]
    • The difference between a steak and a fillet is whether or not the bone was cut through. A steak is a cut through the bone, while a fillet is cut around the bone. [16]
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Clean/Gut a Fish
    Put your finger on the blunt edge of your fillet knife and poke it through the back of the fish, right above the spine. Slide your fillet knife sideways through the bottom of the fish. Maneuver the knife slowly through the entire length of your catch, keeping your fillet knife parallel to the spine. Keep your knife about 0.5 inches (1.3 cm) above the backbone, depending on the side of your fish. [17]
    • You can place your nondominant thumb on the opening created by your initial cut to peel the skin back and make cutting easier.
  4. Use your nondominant hand to peel the flesh open so that the fish’s side is exposed at 35-45 degrees. Use small cuts to slice through any connecting tissue at the base of the fish’s side to fully remove your fillet. Peel the fillet off the fish’s body and set it aside. Flip the fish over and repeat this process on the opposite side. [18]
    • You can carve around any bones that you encounter if you’d like. Depending on the fish’s species and size, you may want to do this when you’re preparing to cook to avoid accidentally removing any flesh.
    • Rotate the fish as you flip it over so that you stay facing the spine. For the second fillet, start at the tail end and cut towards the head.
    • You can peel or cut the thin layer of skin off your fillets if you’d like to, although many recipes require the skin to stay on during cooking.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Scaling the Fish

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Clean/Gut a Fish
    Hold the tip of a fin up in the air with your nondominant hand. Place a fillet knife at the base of the fin and slide your knife through it. Remove any large fins that you think will get in the way during the cleaning or cooking process. [19]
    • Depending on the species, the dorsal fins may be particularly long and hard to remove. Cut lengthwise through them in small sections to make the process easier.
    • You can use any sharp knife to clean and gut a fish, but a flexible fillet knife is preferable because the thin blade will keep you from shredding the flesh.
  2. Place the fish in a large sink or cleaning area. Hold the tail in your nondominant hand and raise it so that the fish’s body rests at a 45-degree angle. Hold your knife firmly in your dominant hand and use the blunt side to “scrape off the outside of the fish to remove the slime coat and scales,” Reynolds says. [20] Use long, hard swipes, starting at the tail and scraping your way towards the head. Flip the fish over and repeat the process on the other side. [21]
    • Rinse your fish after scaling it to keep any loosened scales from getting into your fish’s abdominal cavity.
    • Note: Some prefer to scale their fish before cleaning, while some prefer to do it afterward. Reynolds recommends doing it last and says that it’s optional. [22]

    Tip: For tough-skinned species, you can use the sharp edge of your knife. Just be careful and make sure that the blade scrapes along the top of the scales and not into the flesh of the fish.

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Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    How do I pull the guts out of a fish?
    Michael Reynolds
    Professional Fishing Instructor
    Michael Reynolds is a Professional Fishing Instructor and the Owner of Long Beach, California Fishing Lessons by Michael Reynolds. In his over 40 years of fishing experience, Michael has become very knowledgeable about the variety of fishing methods and techniques. He is passionate about sharing his knowledge with beginners to experienced anglers. Michael has been guiding and teaching fishing for over five years and is licensed and bonded with the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW).
    Michael Reynolds
    Professional Fishing Instructor
    Expert Answer
    You can typically grab them by hand and firmly pull them out. If you can't do it by hand, try scraping them out with your knife.
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  • Question
    How do I cook a fish outdoors?
    Community Answer
    Gut the fish. If it's a trout, cut from the anus up to the head area. Then, cut the little flap under the chin of the fish. Grab that tab and pull down towards the anus. That pulls the guts and everything you wouldn't want to eat out of the fish. Then, season your fish however you want and wrap it in tinfoil. Place on hot embers. Wait until flesh is flakey and white. Enjoy!
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    Not Helpful 38 Helpful 80
  • Question
    How can I tell if the fish has diseases?
    Community Answer
    Look for spots or sores on the skin that show signs of infection, and other abnormalities like patches of discoloration. Also, wounds that appear to have not been caused by a cut or injury are suspicious.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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      Tips

      • To humanely kill a live fish , hold it down on a firm, flat surface with your nondominant hand on the abdomen. Use a club or a heavy, blunt object to strike the top of the head to render it unconscious. Then, puncture the fish’s brain with a spike or thin knife by sticking it through the head directly behind and slightly above the eye. [23]
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/fishing/docs/how2cleanfilletfishflyer.pdf
      2. ↑ https://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/fishing/docs/how2cleanfilletfishflyer.pdf
      3. ↑ Michael Reynolds. Professional Fishing Instructor. Expert Interview
      4. ↑ https://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/fishing/docs/how2cleanfilletfishflyer.pdf
      5. ↑ Michael Reynolds. Professional Fishing Instructor. Expert Interview
      6. ↑ Michael Reynolds. Professional Fishing Instructor. Expert Interview
      7. ↑ Michael Reynolds. Professional Fishing Instructor. Expert Interview
      8. ↑ https://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/fishing/docs/how2cleanfilletfishflyer.pdf
      9. ↑ Michael Reynolds. Professional Fishing Instructor. Expert Interview
      1. ↑ https://youtu.be/YeXqdZYtF_A?t=56
      2. ↑ https://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/fishing/docs/how2cleanfilletfishflyer.pdf
      3. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeXqdZYtF_A&t=148s
      4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeXqdZYtF_A&t=167s
      5. ↑ Michael Reynolds. Professional Fishing Instructor. Expert Interview
      6. ↑ Michael Reynolds. Professional Fishing Instructor. Expert Interview
      7. ↑ https://umamidays.com/whats-the-difference-between-fish-steak-and-fish-fillet/
      8. ↑ https://youtu.be/YeXqdZYtF_A?t=201
      9. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeXqdZYtF_A&t=216s
      10. ↑ https://coolofthewild.com/how-to-gut-a-fish/
      11. ↑ Michael Reynolds. Professional Fishing Instructor. Expert Interview
      12. ↑ https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/techniques/cleaning_round_fish
      13. ↑ Michael Reynolds. Professional Fishing Instructor. Expert Interview
      14. ↑ https://www.ikijime.com/

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To clean and gut a fish, bring the fish to a clean, flat work surface near a sink with a working faucet. Rinse the fish's body under a stream of cold water to remove slime and debris. Next, starting at the tail and working toward the head, scrape both sides of the fish with the back of a knife to remove the scales. Rinse the body again with cold water, place it on a stable cutting surface, and slide the tip of the knife into the small opening near the bottom of the tail. Drag the blade toward the neck, stopping 1–2 inches beneath the mouth. Once you've cut from vent to neck, spread the stomach open and gently pull out the guts and entrails. Finally, flush out the empty abdominal cavity with cold water for 1 minute to get rid of any loose or leftover bits. For advice on how to fillet the fish after you gut it, read on!

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