See every public fishing venue in New Mexico on the map, with boat ramps, camping, parking and full rules for each one.
Gila River is a public river in Grant County, New Mexico, managed by New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. You can fish it on a New Mexico fishing licence plus the Habitat Management & Access Validation. Special Trout Waters (Red / Green / Xmas Chile) carry their own tackle and bag-limit rules. Stream-access rules in New Mexico are contested — stick to public land, state Wildlife Areas and department access easements; check current signage. Public access confirmed via marquee water.
A Gila-country stream in southwestern New Mexico (the Gila and its forks, the San Francisco, Whitewater Creek) — the last stronghold of the native Gila trout, alongside stocked rainbows, browns and smallmouth bass, in the wildest river country in the state.
It runs roughly 58 miles through the Southwest New Mexico (Gila) region. Anglers here mostly fish for channel catfish, flathead catfish, smallmouth bass. Live flow and gauge height come from the Gila River Near Gila, Nm USGS station shown below. The nearest other mapped waters on PiscaMaps are Bill Evans Lake and Mangas Creek.
Species from PiscaMaps water-type profiles, New Mexico Fish and Game trout-stocking records and hand research.
Night fishing: No statewide night-fishing closure in New Mexico; Special Trout Waters and some state-park lakes post their own seasonal and hourly rules — check the current New Mexico Fishing Rules and Information book.
Boats: The big reservoirs (Elephant Butte, Navajo, Conchas, Ute, Cochiti, Heron, El Vado) take trailered boats via a state-park ramp; many small trout lakes are electric-only or car-top, and streams are wade access. All boats need an Aquatic Invasive Species inspection.
Bank & bivvy camping: New Mexico is roughly one-third federal land — dispersed camping is allowed on most BLM and Forest Service ground along these waters, plus developed state-park campgrounds on nearly every major reservoir.
Tackle: The statewide trout bag limit is generally 5; Special Trout Waters (marked Red / Green / Xmas Chile) carry their own reduced limits, artificial-only or single-barbless-hook and catch-and-release rules. Gila trout water is often catch-and-release. Check the current Fishing Rules and Information book.
Camping: 2 sites mapped nearby — Gila Hot Springs Campground, Forks Campground.
Source: OpenStreetMap contributors.
Loading live flow & gauge height…
Live from USGS gauge 09430500 — Gila River Near Gila, Nm. Full gauge data →
Anyone 12 or older needs a New Mexico fishing licence — the resident annual is about $25, the non-resident annual about $56, with 1-day (~$12) and 5-day (~$24) options. A Habitat Management & Access Validation (about $4) is also required, and a free Harvest Information Program (HIP) validation for migratory-bird-water anglers. New Mexico residents 70 and older, and anglers under 12, fish free. Buy from NMDGF at wildlife.dgf.nm.gov. A New Mexico fishing licence plus the Habitat Management & Access Validation covers this water — it carries a published NMDGF fishery management plan.
Every water carries species, bank & boat access, current regulations and live water conditions — and members get Swim Mapper, Catch Logger and Trip Planner. It's the only US map with a dedicated carp-water layer.
Open the New Mexico map Start your free trial