Fishing in Southwestern NM & Gila
Gila River, Bill Evans Lake, Lake Roberts, Gila Wilderness, and the Gila trout, rainbow trout, largemouth bass, and channel catfish fishing of southwestern New Mexico.
1. Gila River (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Gila Trout, Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass)
Gila River, Grant/Catron countiesThe Gila River in the Gila National Forest is home to the rare native Gila trout and offers excellent wilderness trout fishing in the rugged Gila Wilderness.
2. Gila Trout Recovery Waters (Gila Trout)
Various streams, Grant/Catron countiesSeveral remote streams in the Gila Wilderness are managed for the recovery of the endangered Gila trout, New Mexico's state fish.
3. Bill Evans Lake (Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish, Bluegill, Rainbow Trout)
Bill Evans Lake, Grant CountyBill Evans Lake is a 120-acre lake near Silver City offering excellent warmwater fishing with a county park.
4. Lake Roberts (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish, Bluegill)
Lake Roberts, Grant CountyLake Roberts is a 250-acre lake in the Gila National Forest offering excellent trout and bass fishing with a Forest Service campground.
5. Mountain View Lake (Rainbow Trout, Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Crappie, Bluegill)
Mountain View Lake, Grant CountyMountain View Lake near Silver City offers good fishing in a mountain setting.
6. Bear Mountain Lake (Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout)
Bear Mountain Lake, Grant CountyBear Mountain Lake offers good high-elevation trout fishing in the Pinos Altos Mountains.
7. Lake Bataan (Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout)
Lake Bataan, Grant CountyLake Bataan offers good trout fishing in the Gila National Forest near Silver City.
8. Ft. Bayard Pond (Rainbow Trout, Channel Catfish, Bluegill)
Ft. Bayard, Grant CountyFt. Bayard Pond offers good community fishing near Silver City.
9. Wall Lake (Catron Co.) (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Brook Trout, Cutthroat Trout)
Wall Lake, Catron CountyWall Lake in the Gila National Forest offers excellent trout fishing in a scenic mountain setting.
10. Snow Lake (Catron Co.) (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout)
Snow Lake, Catron CountySnow Lake offers good trout fishing in the Gila Wilderness area.
11. Mogollon Creek (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Gila Trout)
Mogollon Creek, Catron CountyMogollon Creek offers excellent wilderness trout fishing in the remote Mogollon Mountains.
12. Whitewater Creek (Catron) (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Gila Trout)
Whitewater Creek, Catron CountyWhitewater Creek offers good trout fishing in the Mogollon Mountains of the Gila National Forest.
13. San Francisco River (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass)
San Francisco River, Catron/Greenlee countiesThe San Francisco River offers both trout and warmwater fishing in the remote mountains of western New Mexico.
14. Tularosa River (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout)
Tularosa River, Catron CountyThe Tularosa River offers good trout fishing in the Gila National Forest near Reserve.
15. Saliz Creek (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Gila Trout)
Saliz Creek, Catron CountySaliz Creek offers excellent Gila trout fishing in a remote Gila Wilderness stream.
16. Largo Creek (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Gila Trout)
Largo Creek, Catron CountyLargo Creek offers good wilderness trout fishing in the Gila National Forest.
17. Negrito Creek (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Gila Trout)
Negrito Creek, Catron CountyNegrito Creek offers good trout fishing in the remote Gila Wilderness.
18. Quemado Lake (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Kokanee)
Quemado Lake, Catron CountyQuemado Lake is a 100-acre high-desert lake offering good trout and kokanee fishing in western Catron County.
19. Apache Creek (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout)
Apache Creek, Catron CountyApache Creek offers good trout fishing in the Apache Creek area of the Gila National Forest.
20. West Fork Gila River (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Gila Trout)
West Fork Gila River, Grant CountyThe West Fork of the Gila River offers excellent wilderness trout fishing in the Gila Wilderness with hike-in access.
21. East Fork Gila River (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Gila Trout)
East Fork Gila River, Grant CountyThe East Fork of the Gila River offers excellent remote trout fishing in the Gila Box Riparian Area.
22. Middle Fork Gila River (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Gila Trout)
Middle Fork Gila River, Grant/Catron countiesThe Middle Fork Gila River is a National Wild and Scenic River offering outstanding wilderness trout fishing.
23. South Fork Gila River (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Gila Trout)
South Fork Gila River, Grant CountyThe South Fork offers good trout fishing in the Gila Wilderness.
24. Gilita Creek (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Gila Trout)
Gilita Creek, Catron CountyGilita Creek offers excellent Gila trout fishing in the Gila National Forest near the Willow Creek area.
25. Willow Creek (Catron Co.) (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout)
Willow Creek, Catron CountyWillow Creek offers good trout fishing in the Gila National Forest near the Willow Creek Campground.
26. Diamond Creek (Catron Co.) (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Gila Trout)
Diamond Creek, Catron CountyDiamond Creek offers good wilderness trout fishing in the Gila National Forest.
27. Little Creek (Catron Co.) (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout)
Little Creek, Catron CountyLittle Creek offers good trout fishing in the Gila National Forest.
28. Sacaton Creek (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Gila Trout)
Sacaton Creek, Catron CountySacaton Creek offers good trout fishing in the remote Gila Wilderness.
29. Spruce Creek (Catron Co.) (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout)
Spruce Creek, Catron CountySpruce Creek offers good trout fishing in the Gila National Forest high country.
30. Canyon Creek (Catron Co.) (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout)
Canyon Creek, Catron CountyCanyon Creek offers good trout fishing in the Gila National Forest.
31. Rain Creek (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Gila Trout)
Rain Creek, Catron CountyRain Creek offers excellent Gila trout fishing in a remote section of the Gila Wilderness.
32. Iron Creek (Catron Co.) (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout)
Iron Creek, Catron CountyIron Creek offers good trout fishing in the Gila National Forest.
33. Buford Lake (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout)
Buford Lake, Catron CountyBuford Lake offers good high-elevation trout fishing near the Arizona border in Catron County.
34. Patterson Lake (Catron) (Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Cutthroat Trout)
Patterson Lake, Catron CountyPatterson Lake offers good high-mountain trout fishing in the Gila National Forest.
35. Mesa Lake (Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Cutthroat Trout)
Mesa Lake, Catron CountyMesa Lake offers good trout fishing in the San Francisco Mountains of Catron County.
36. Torrey Lake (Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Cutthroat Trout)
Torrey Lake, Catron CountyTorrey Lake offers good wilderness trout fishing in the Gila National Forest.
37. Horseshoe Lake (Catron) (Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout)
Horseshoe Lake, Catron CountyHorseshoe Lake offers good trout fishing in the remote Catron County mountains.
38. Frisco River (San Francisco) (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Smallmouth Bass)
Frisco River, Catron CountyThe Frisco River offers good trout and bass fishing along the Arizona-New Mexico border.
39. Bear Creek (Catron Co.) (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Gila Trout)
Bear Creek, Catron CountyBear Creek offers good wilderness trout fishing in the Gila National Forest.
40. Indian Creek (Catron Co.) (Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Gila Trout)
Indian Creek, Catron CountyIndian Creek offers good Gila trout fishing in the remote Gila Wilderness.
Fishing Tips for the Southwestern NM & Gila
- Check local regulations before fishing — each water body may have specific rules on limits, seasons, and bait.
- Spring and fall typically offer the best fishing in New Mexico for most species.
- Consider hiring a local guide for the best experience on unfamiliar waters.
- Always carry a valid New Mexico fishing license — available online through the state wildlife agency.
- Practice catch and release for sensitive species to help maintain healthy fish populations.
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