Gila River

The wildest of the three forks — nearly 40 miles of fishable stream almost entirely inside the Gila Wilderness, walled by orange tuff cliffs, with deep undercut banks and quiet pools. Reachable on foot or horseback only, from the TJ Corral and Cliff Dwellings trailheads on Trail 157; a hot spring about half a mile up the trail is the traditional foot-soak on the way out. The lower few miles above the West Fork confluence are the realistic day trip — beyond that is multi-day backpacking. Holds Gila trout and rainbow trout up high and notably larger brown trout under the undercut banks below.

Best for: Brown trout under undercut banks on stealthy terrestrials and small streamers; Gila trout and rainbow trout up high. Summer disappoints — warm water and suckers — so October and November are prime.

The most accessible legal Gila-trout water in the wilderness. Trail 151 leaves right from the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument and follows classic small-stream pocket water and pools through a canyon of orange volcanic tuff — 4 to 15 feet wide in most spots, with dozens of shallow crossings. The near-in mile gets day-hiker traffic; the fishing improves the farther you walk, and roughly seven miles up to Ring Canyon opens dozens of backcountry miles. Gila trout and rainbow trout on attractor dries, fished off a 3-weight from cover.

Best for: Gila trout and rainbow trout on Stimulators, Elk Hair Caddis, and small attractors. Walk-in solitude — distance from the trailhead buys the best water. Best late September through November.

The united main stem just below where the forks come together near Gila Hot Springs — bigger than any single fork and still coldwater trout habitat at its upper end near Grapevine Campground. This is the easiest coldwater access without a long hike, reached off NM 15 and Forest Service roads. It's also the reach the USGS Gila Hot Springs gauge (09430030) reads, which makes it the key flow number for planning a trip into the forks: low and clear here means the forks are fishable. Mixed Gila trout, rainbow trout, and brown trout early and late; it warms through summer.

Best for: Mixed Gila trout, rainbow trout, and brown trout on attractor dries and dry-droppers. The roadside coldwater option and the gauge that tells you whether the forks are in shape. Best in fall and early summer.

The least-fished fork by a wide margin — smaller and more remote than the West or Middle, it joins the stem to help form the main Gila. Access is very limited, off the NM 15/35 corridor and long wilderness trails, and almost nobody fishes it. Gila trout and rainbow trout hold in the upper reaches for anglers who want maximum solitude and are willing to work for it. This is not a casual trip.

Best for: Gila trout and rainbow trout for anglers after total solitude. Advanced, remote, and lightly documented — do your homework and carry a map.

Below the forks the Gila slides down through the agricultural Cliff–Gila valley near the towns of Gila and Cliff, and the character shifts hard — warmer, lower-gradient water that continues to Redrock and toward the Arizona line at Virden. This is the trout-to-bass transition: smallmouth bass and channel catfish take over as the water warms, and only marginal trout hold in the cold months. Roadside access off US 180 and county roads, with USGS gauges at Gila (09430500) and Redrock (09431500).

Best for: Smallmouth bass on poppers and streamers through the warm months; channel catfish in the deeper holes. This is where the Gila stops being a trout river. Best late spring through summer.