I am in the same boat. My GPA is not stellar and it actually falls below the minimum requirement for number of programs I applied to. I would really encourage reaching out to POIs and building a relationship with them before the application deadline because I managed to get interviews by doing this and emphasizing a really strong research fit (I know number of people who have done this as well). This allows the prof to keep an eye out for your application and have it reviewed even if it doesn't meet the requirement.
This of course depends hugely on the program's admission style. Some have admission committees that do not allow profs to see the applications before the initial screening process based on GPA, GRE, etc.