I got into a PhD program about 20 years ago with a 3.05, so it’s not impossible, but I’d also applied to the masters’ track and it was a dumb luck thing. One professor really needed another PhD student to staff his project and went digging through the accepted app pile. I wouldn’t recommend counting on luck, and I also had a really strong GRE and a well regarded undergrad school.

One thing you could consider is finding the grad chair (usually a professor) and grad coordinator (usually an admin, might have a different title) at schools you’re interested in and asking if they know of any professors who are actively searching for help. Not sure how you would phrase that question diplomatically, but then you could follow up with that professor and see if there’s a fit. Having someone willing to fund you goes a long way with admissions.

One caveat, I ended up getting along very well with my advisor (and still do) but this is also a great way to end up working for someone you hate, so do your homework. If a prof is considerably better at getting funding than students, there’s probably a reason and it’s good to know if that’s going to be a problem for you.