Do Trout Have Teeth? Can They Bite You?

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If you have ever gone trout fishing before, you know just how fun they are to catch and just how tasty they are when cooked the right way. That said, there are some things that you might not know about these fish, particularly in terms of their anatomy.

So, do trout have teeth? The answer is yes, well, kind of. Trout have a strong double row of teeth located on the roof of their mouths, which are referred to as vomerine teeth. They do also have a smaller row of teeth on the inside of their lips, but nothing too large.

They don’t have normal teeth like we humans have, ones that consist of two opposing rows on the gumline, but they do have teeth.

Can Trout Bite You?

The short answer here is yes, trout can and do bite. Between that double row of vomerine teeth located on the roof of the mouth, and that smaller layer of teeth on the inside of the lip, trout can bite and they can do some serious damage.

The real threat here are those vomerine teeth, as these can be quite large and they’re always super sharp.

The main point of these teeth is to hook into pray so it cannot get away, as well as to start slicing it to pieces, to get it ready for easy digestion.

It is not uncommon for trout to slice open some fingers or hands when anglers get to close to their mouths.

Now, a trout may not actually bite you per say. They aren’t dogs or predatory cats. However, if you are holding one and it is flopping around trying to get away, chances are that one of those sharp teeth could slice into you.

How Do You Hold Trout Safely?

As you might be able to tell from above, a lot of avoiding being bitten or sliced by a trout has to do with the way that you hold it.

Let’s quickly go over some tips on holding a trout the right way, so you can avoid those razor sharp vomerine teeth from slicing into you.

First off, if you can, just use a fish net. The less contact you have between yourself a live trout, the smaller your chances of having your fingers sliced up.

Next, whenever you do go to handle trout by hand, particularly large ones, it’s a good idea to wear some thick fishing gloves.

This way, even if the trout is flopping around or even tries to bite you, the teeth may not make it through those gloves.

In terms of how to hold a trout, to avoid any and all danger, cup it tightly with two hands.

Use your dominant hand to tightly hold the tail, right in front of the tailfin, and use your other hand to cup the body of the fish, right around the gills (far enough up the body for good grip and balance, but not so close to the head that you risk coming into contact with those sharp teeth).

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Conclusion

In all reality, the risk of being bitten by a trout is not huge, and even if it does happen, while the teeth are sharp and can put a good slice in your finger, it’s not like it’s a wolf or a tiger sinking two-inch canines into you.

When you go fishing, being bitten by a trout is one of the last things that you need to worry about.