A pleasant surprise to many Gila visitors is the number and quality of fishing streams found here—almost 500 miles' worth. Stream species range from lower-elevation flathead and channel catfish, to bass in the middle reaches, and wild brown and stocked rainbow trout above 6,000 feet. Hidden deep in the Gila's wildernesses are the southernmost native populations of Rio Grande cutthroat trout and, rarest of all, the unique, endangered Gila trout. Presently protected from fishing, this golden-colored native might once again be sought by anglers thanks to ongoing restoration efforts.
The finest stream fishing awaits those who are willing to "pack in." Major streams at least partially accessible by road include all forks of the Gila River, upper San Francisco, Willow Creek, Negrito Creek, and Whitewater Creek. Trout can also be taken at such popular lakes as Quemado, Lake Roberts, Snow Lake, Wall Lake, and Bear Canyon Reservoir. The Gila's river systems are also a refuge for such sensitive, threatened, and endangered species as the spikedace, loach minnow, and Chihuahua and roundtail chubs.
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