The Best Fillet Knives of 2025

A good knife is handy in just about every outdoor pursuit, and fishing is no different. The most obvious specialized knives for anglers are fillet knives, which are used to process your catch at the end of the day. Over the years, I’ve cut up countless fish with some of the best fillet knives out there, and hacked my way through a fillet job with bad ones.

However, fishing knives aren’t relegated to just fillet knives. While fishing, I use knives for tasks such as cutting thick lines and braids, cutting bait, chopping down willows for a makeshift stringer, and dozens of other tasks. I received my first pocket knife when I was eight years old and have been hooked on them ever since. I’ve found some of the best for my fishing pursuits.

This guide will focus mainly on fillet knives, with the best overall being the Benchmade Fishcrafter and the best budget knife being the Rapala Stealth FXF Fillet Knife. However, as you read on, you’ll find a few other styles of knives, built for those who live on the water.

Other Knives, Tested

Best Fillet Knives Comparison Chart

How I Tested the Best Fillet Knives

This particular guide required numerous fish fries. I took one for the team and tirelessly forced myself, as well as friends and family, to eat dozens of fried fish that I had filleted with the knives in the test. Obviously, that required the other terrible part of the test — going fishing to harvest those meals. While on the water, I utilized the non-fillet knives in this test to help out with fishing-related activities that required a blade.

Who I Am

I’m a guy who has dedicated most of my adult life to the pursuit of fish. One time in high school, I was watching a fly fishing film where Mark Raisler, owner of Headhunters fly shop, said in regards to Craig, Montana, “Don’t bring your kids here. They won’t grow up to become a doctor or an attorney.” I took that to heart. And I went to Craig. There are no letters at the end of my email signature.

I spent years guiding ice fishing trips in the Rocky Mountain West. That particular time of my life is accentuated by ridiculously long fillet jobs, processing my clients’ panfish and trout for dinner. I cut up fish with frozen hands on frozen lakes and spent hours in a dark garage hunched over a cutting board. I learned quickly how to best process fish, and what made some fillet knives better than others.

Through the years, I’ve also carried knives on all of my fishing trips and have experience in what makes a knife work for use on the water.

My Fishing Grounds and Testing Process

Unfortunately for this round of testing, I didn’t get to go to a far-flung destination to chase exotic fish. I kept it right in my backyard, and by that, I mean within a five-hour radius of Nashville, Tenn.

Still, there were plenty of different fish to pursue, process, and eat. Within an hour of my home, I caught panfish, black bass, musky, trout, striped bass, white bass, crappie, and catfish. I did not take these knives to the saltwater, but I have a few salty trips planned this year and will update the guide accordingly.

Sometimes this test was conducted in my kitchen in the dark after a late night on the water. We’ve all been there, coming home exhausted and remembering that you have a live well full of crappie that needs to be filleted. Other times, I used fillet knives on the water.

Most notable was a weekend-long, overnight rafting/fishing trip through the protected Mark Twain National Forest. My buddy and I floated through a blue ribbon trout section of the river, followed by a warm water stretch where we caught bass and panfish. We spent our evening cutting up fish streamside and having great camp meals.

While on the water, I used the non-fillet knives to cut lines, chop bait, and nearly everything else. On my float trip, I used them to perform everyday camp tasks, such as cooking, cutting firewood, and slicing paracord to bind dry bags to the raft.

I brought home piles of fish from our local reservoirs and switched the fillet knives I used back to back. To test the out-of-the-box sharpness and edge retention, I opted not to touch up the blades until absolutely necessary.

Buyers Guide: How to Choose the Best Fillet Knife

Fillet knives are diverse, featuring powered options, various sizes, and different metals used in their construction. Here are some key considerations to keep in mind when purchasing one. And if you’re looking for a knife for your hunting pursuits, check out our best hunting knives buyer’s guide.

Types of Fishing Knives

I categorize fishing knives into two types: fillet knives and fishing-specific knives that serve as a tool. The argument could be made that multi-tools could also be included. I carry a multi-tool anytime I’m using a boat with an outboard, in case I need to do some on-the-water mechanical work. But, if that’s what you’re looking for, check out our Best Multitools Buyers Guide.

Fillet knives are designed to cut up fish. They have long, sharp, and often flexible blades that are excellent for slicing meat off a fish and its skin. In a pinch, they can also double as a blade for other fishing-related tasks, but you should avoid doing that. You want to keep the blade as sharp as possible for meat processing. A dull blade will result in more work and wasted meat.

Fishing-specific knives are a little harder to nail down. Think of your standard pocket knife, but with more water-related features. My favorite, the Case Yellow Synthetic Fishing Knife, serves as a bit of a Swiss Army knife. It has features built in specifically for anglers, such as a hook hone to sharpen hooks. These types of knives are often similar to an everyday knife, just with extra corrosion resistance built into them from either a Cerakote finish or a specialized steel. They’re an everyday carry knife for fishermen.

Type of Steel

There is an endless amount of content online regarding the steel used to make knives. It’s arguably the most essential part of any knife. I won’t add yet another rendition of the same material, because the rest of the Gear Junkie team has already done that. Check out our Knife Steel Guide if you want to take a deep dive into the pros and cons of individual steel types. You can find the steel used to make the knives in this test on the comparison chart. I will, however, give some general statements.

From a fishing standpoint, steel has three main properties you should be concerned with: corrosion resistance, edge retention, and ease of sharpening.

Corrosion Resistance

Corrosion resistance sits up top for my consideration, since a fillet knife is invariably going to get wet—a lot. That often leads to a rust-coated blade.

Blades made from Magnacut steel, like the Benchmade Fishcrafter are the most corrosion-resistant you’ll find. You can submerge them in fresh and saltwater, and forget to dry them, without finding rust on your knife. The problem is, Magnacut is expensive.

Some budget-friendly knives circumvent this issue by coating the knife in Cerakote. It’s not completely foolproof and won’t provide the same level of protection as the best steel will, but it’s passable for those on a budget. Just be sure to dry your blade, especially the exposed edge, after each use.

Edge Retention and Ease of Sharpening

These two factors are inversely related to one another. A steel that holds an edge better will be harder to sharpen and vice versa. There’s no right or wrong here, just what you prefer.

The German 1.4116 steel found on the Rapala Stealth FXF Fillet Knife, for example, dulled quicker than my other blades. However, I was able to restore it to its factory-sharp condition relatively easily using multiple types of sharpeners.

That’s a stark contrast to the Benchmade Adira, made from MagnaCut. I’m not going to pretend to be an expert knife sharpener, and I’ve stopped trying to sharpen MagnaCut. Benchmade allows you to ship a knife back to them to re-sharpen, and it’s a program I utilize for hard steels. With that said, knives that are hard to sharpen take a lot of use to dull. I ship mine to Benchmade at most twice a year.

So, you either have to perform regular, easy maintenance or rare, difficult maintenance. The choice is yours.

Handles on the Best Fillet Knives

Handle design is important on every knife, but it’s critical in fishing scenarios. Most people use knives in dry environments. Anglers have hands caked in fish slime and are covered in water. Grip is hard to maintain, and a slippery fillet knife can quickly lead to stitches.

As a result, the best fillet knives have rubberized handles with texturing. Rubber remains sticky when wet, and the texture acts as jimping. Jimping is grooves built into a knife blade or handle that allow for a better grip.

Our best budget fillet knife, the Rapala Stealth FXF Fillet Knife, has a grip that locks down individual fingers, which was my favorite grip, although it’s probably only best for those with large hands. Handles like the one found on the Gerber Controller Folding Fillet knife are also rubber and texturized, but will fit a wide variety of hand sizes. Others, like the Case Yellow Synthetic Fishing knife, have no rubber or texture, which loses points with me.

The point is, rubber or some fancy variation of it, is best. And lots of texture.

Length

Most fillet knives come in multiple sizes, and it works exactly how you think it would. Shorter blades are better for small fish, and large blades are for big fish.

A six-inch blade is great for panfish, crappie and can work for most freshwater fish. Smaller blades like the one on the Case Synthetic Yellow Fishing knife are also great for those sizes of fish.

Seven to eight-inch blades are great for a catch-all fillet knife. You can use them for walleye and trout, and they won’t give you any significant issues when cutting apart smaller panfish species. In a bind, you can even use them for larger fish like catfish and tuna, it may just take a few more cuts.

Large knives, such as the nine-inch version of the Benchmade Fishcrafter, are best suited for saltwater anglers. Guys who chase monster catfish will also appreciate a longer cutting blade.

That being said, I’ve used giant knives to cut apart small fish and small knives to fillet giant steelhead. Make your selection based on the fish you chase the most. The best powered fillet knife, the Rapala R12, comes with multiple blade sizes that are interchangeable, which is great for those who target numerous species.

Flex

Most people don’t think of flex when they think of a knife blade, but it can come in handy when filleting. When cutting up smaller fish, I prefer a flexible blade, such as the one found on the Gerber Controller. It allows me to follow the contours of the ribs and save every bit of meat on a small fillet.

When cutting tougher fish, such as tuna or thick-skinned catfish, I prefer a blade with minimal flex. That mostly comes down to personal preference and isn’t a deal breaker either way, but you may find you like one over the other.

Power or No Power

Some people think powered fillet knives are a gimmick, while others love them. I fall into the latter category. But, my passion for them requires a bit of explanation.

Powered fillet knives do have some significant drawbacks. They’re ridiculously bulky and because of that, you won’t take them with you on the water. They’re best left at the dock to be used at a fish cleaning station, or at home to use in the garage or kitchen.

Batteries need to be charged, and they must be assembled and then disassembled for cleaning after each use. Sounds like a headache, right?

If you’re keeping a few fish here and there, or only fillet a few large fish, it’s not worth the hassle. But, for large fillet jobs, or those filleting dozens of panfish or crappie, there is no other option. A powered fillet knife like the Rapala R12 HD will make your life so much easier. If you clean high numbers of fish each week, consider going powered. Outside of that, a standard knife is all you need.

Other Features

When considering fillet knives, take note of the features found on the sheath that comes with the knife. Some budget fillet knives don’t have a sheath that locks the blade in, which isn’t ideal. I like a sheath like the one found on the Benchmade Fishcrafter that requires you to apply pressure to the sheath to remove the knife. A secure knife on a bumpy boat is necessary.

I also like having some way to attach the knife to my belt. It’s a function that I don’t always use, but it’s better to have the option than not. That’s one of the main reasons the Gerber Controller lost points with me. Even though it’s a foldable fillet knife, making it a smaller package than others, the lack of a belt clip or sheath makes it a bit annoying to pack around.

Other fishing knives will have other useful tools, the most notable being the Case Yellow Synthetic fishing knife, which has a hook hone and a hook disgorger, making the tiny knife well worth its weight while I was on the water.

Another knife that boasts useful features is the NRS Co-Pilot. It has a bottle opener and blunted tip. That tip is designed not to pop inflatable fishing crafts. However, I like it because it allows me to use it as both a screwdriver and a pry bar without feeling guilty.

Fillet knives won’t come with those fancy additions, but if you need an all-purpose knife, grab one with fishing-specific features.

Price and Value

Like most knives, price is mainly associated with the quality of steel in the blade. Here are some price ranges and what you can expect to spend.

Budget Fillet Knives

There are budget knives from $10 to $45. I’ve used some knives in the $10-15 category, and most of them were a waste of money. They all required sharpening out of the box to provide passable service. And, I’d be willing to bet someone buying a budget knife doesn’t have a good sharpener. So add one of those to the cart. Now you’re in the $30-40 range. Just avoid those dirt-cheap knives.

But, other budget knives like the Rapala Stealth FXF have decent steel, especially in modern times. It used to be that the steels on lower priced knives were subpar, but foreign, lower-grade steels are improving steadily.

Knives in this price range will be able to get the job done. However, they won’t retain an edge very long due to the lower grade steel and will need to be sharpened regularly. You’ll also need to remember to dry them off after a day on the water, as they are more prone to rust.

Mid-Tier Fillet Knives

Knives in the $50-120 range will improve upon budget knives through better steel. You’ll get better edge retention and better corrosion resistance.

My favorite in this category was the Gerber Controller, which is made with 9Cr steel and is an excellent value. It’s a Chinese-made steel that can hold up with many of the more popular mid-range steels on the market. Knives in this category won’t need as much sharpening and will survive just fine if you occasionally forget to dry them off.

Premium Fillet Knives

The most expensive knives ($170+) will have the most durable steels on the market. In the fishing space, that usually means CPM Magnacut found on blades like the Benchmade Adira.

That price range may be overkill for someone who only uses a fishing knife a few times a year, but for those who spend a ton of time on the water, it’s well worth the price of admission.

Knives I use in this range are great for one reason: they require virtually no maintenance. The edge will stay sharp, and rust and corrosion from water are non-issues. If you’re like me and want a knife that performs well time and time again, even after being neglected in a boat storage locker, plan on spending a bit more.

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