Gila Trout are one of two species of trout native to Arizona. The species historically occurred in streams in the Agua Fria River, Verde River, Tonto Creek, Upper Gila River, and the San Francisco River in Arizona and New Mexico. Gila Trout were not formally described as a species until 1950, when it was estimated their distribution had been reduced to as few as 20 stream miles, all located in the headwaters of the Gila River in New Mexico. Gila Trout were first listed as endangered in 1967, but thanks to conservation efforts led by AZGFD, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, USFWS, USFS, and many other partner organizations, the species was downlisted to threatened status in 2006. However, Gila Trout still faced many threats including large-scale, high-severity wildfires, climate change, hybridization with non-native Rainbow and Cutthroat Trout, and competition and predation from other non-native trout species, in particular Brown and Brook Trout.
After several years, the collaborative conservation efforts had paid off. By early 2017, Gila Trout occupied four recovery streams in Arizona. One of these streams was even open to catch-and-release angling. But in the summer of 2017 these conservation successes were tested again when two separate wildfires eliminated three of the four Gila Trout recovery populations. Since then multiple conservation efforts have been undertaken to reintroduce Gila Trout throughout their historic range in Arizona. Currently, Gila Trout occupy seven streams for recovery purposes in the state, which is the highest number of occupied streams in the Arizona since the early 1900s. In addition, two of these streams opened to catch-and-release angling on May 1, 2021. This is the first time since 2017 that any Gila Trout recovery streams in Arizona have been open to catch-and-release angling.
By the Numbers:
6 new Gila Trout populations have been established since the summer of 2017.
3,459 Gila Trout stocked as fingerlings since 2017 for recovery purposes.
77,607 Gila Trout stocked as eyed-eggs since 2017 for recovery purposes.
Gila Trout are now found in 7 recovery streams, the most since the early 1900s.
2 Gila Trout recovery streams in Arizona opened to catch-and-release angling on May 1, 2021, the first since 2017.