A metal gasket for an internal combustion engine has cylinder openings and a cooling water openings and is coated on its outer surface with a surface treatment agent. The surface treatment agent in a region of the metal gasket surrounding the cooling water openings has been removed. A method of producing a metal gasket having at least a cooling water opening comprises steps of coating a surface treatment agent on an outer surface of the metal gasket, covering by a masking jig the outer surface of the metal gasket except a region surrounding the cooling water opening, and removing the surface treatment agent in the region by jetting superhigh pressure water at the region.