From its headwaters in New Mexico, the Gila River flows 649 miles across Arizona until it eventually empties into the Colorado River. The upper part of the river is best known as a treasured native trout stream.
But at lower elevations, the water is warmer and species like catfish thrive. Channel cats are abundant throughout much of the Gila River, and flatheads in the 20-pound class have been caught here as well.
There’s some great fishing in and around the communities of Kearney and Winkelman, where the river is easily walkable. On foot, one can explore the river and find the deep holes that catfish favor.
For the most part, releases from the Coolidge Dam keep the river flowing steadily all year, but summer is still the season when the water is lowest.
That makes deep holes containing catfish easier to find and identify. It’s possible to stumble on a hole with 50 or more cats all huddled together.
The Bureau of Land Management maintains the Shores Recreation Site and the Christmas Recreation Site just a few miles upstream of Winkelman. Both are great places to access the Gila River.
Comments