Gila trout

Overview

The Gila trout is a species of salmonid, related to the rainbow trout, native to the southwestern United States. Prior to 2006 the Gila trout was federally listed as endangered. In July 2006, after much work by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish and Arizona Game and Fish Department, the United States Forest Service and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the Gila trout was down-listed to threatened, with a special provision called a "4d rule" that will allow limited sport fishing – for the first time in nearly half a century. By the time the Gila trout was closed to fishing in the 1950s, its numbers and range were so depleted and so reduced this copper-colored trout simply wasn't very accessible to anglers. As of 2011 there is fishing in both states for this fish.

Where to Find Gila trout

Frequently Asked Questions