Sierra Vista Area (Nogales, Bisbee, Parker: low crime, buying, high school)

[Plantain]

I am looking for high speed internet, low crime, good food, lakes and streams for fishing, available 3,000 sf housing. Is Sierra Vista or surrounding areas within 30 mi of Fort Huachuca going to give me this? I can travel any amount of distance for fishing, but it would be nice to have fishing available close by.

[Idaho]

Fishing!?!?!? I wish!!!!! There are farm-raised stocked "ponds" around Southern Arizona that they call lakes. If you just want to go for a fish that'll give you a good fight, I've read that the Fish & Game Dept. just about begs folks to fish in Patagonia Lake for Northern Pike (yep, they seem to adapt to anywhere).

Good fly fishing is up in Northern AZ on the Black River, and that's a good 5 hours to drive from Sierra Vista, I think. Heading east into New Mexico, there might be some fishing around Silver City, but you'd want to google Silver City and check further - That's about 2-3 hours drive from Sierra Vista.

If you discover a truly great fishing site in Southern AZ, please let me know. This old transplanted Idaho fishing hobbyist would love to hear about it too!

[Ponderosa]

Parker Canyon Lake is the best for fishing near Huachuca. It is stocked with trout in winter and has a reproducing bass and catfish population. It is small (maybe a couple hundred acres). Patagonia is not as good for fishing IMO. Pretty barren looking too. Riggs Flat Lake is not terribly far away. Has stocked trout in a gorgeous setting 9000' high. There is also Pena Blanca near Nogales, but so much mercury in the water there that you can use the fish for thermometers. But all in all Sierra Vista is not a good spot to be if you like water. That's true of AZ in general.

[victoriana]

Parker Canyon Lake is also crowded and tends to get VERY dirty - because its just about the ONLY water in the area. Posters are right. If you like water, S.V. has major water problems and is arid as can be. I went to high school there in the 1970's. Ft. Huachuca is the main support for the town. You are close to the border - so if you live rurally, expect illegal visitors cutting your fences, leaving trash, etc. You need to have a gun - because the U.S. Border patrol can't do much thanks to our government. We had fifteen acres there once - and I would dearly loved to have bought a ranch between S.V. and Bisbee but the situation with Mexican illegals is SO bad that many of our friends now can't GIVE AWAY their beautiful land. Just be careful.

[MotleyCrew]

We once considered buying a large parcel of land near the border until we heard the story about the rancher that actually helped two illegals, but first detained them to find out what they were up to. He gave them food and water and sent for the border guard. They ended up suing him and the judge awarded the two illegals his ranch. What a world.