The Rochester and Finger Lakes region has quietly become one of New York’s most diverse outdoor recreation corridors, where Great Lakes salmon runs, glacial Finger Lakes, river systems, and canal trails intersect. What makes the region especially dynamic is not just geography, but a network of living, working outdoor professionals who are actively shaping how residents and visitors learn to explore.
Fishing Guides: Tradition, Stewardship, and Access
Lindsay Agness has become one of the most visible women in New York fly fishing. A licensed guide since 2011, Agness has spent years teaching women, veterans, and young people about the sport. She does this through Trout Unlimited, wellness programs, and nonprofit outreach initiatives for foster children and disabled military veterans. Her goal is not only to teach technique, but to make the outdoors accessible and restorative to people who may never have considered fly fishing.
Mark Moskal of Summit to Stream Adventures (Watkins Glen) raves about the Finger Lakes’ remarkable ecological diversity, where warm-water, cold-water, shallow, and deep lakes exist within a short drive of one another. A Central New York native with more than 50 years of fishing experience, Moskal combines charter fishing, fly fishing, and kayaking into an immersive guiding approach, emphasizing conservation and a lifelong connection to the water.
That same blend of education and conservation appears in the work of Kurt Hoefig, a Finger Lakes fishing guide. He describes his first encounter of the lakes as “transformative” and now helps others experience that same sense of discovery. His guiding is grounded in sustainability as well, and he teaches clients to think about fisheries as living systems rather than resources to be used.
On Lake Ontario’s eastern edge, expert angler, Captain Brian Neal of Finger Lakes Outfitters specializes in fishing and guided charters on Lake Ontario and Sodus Bay and waterfowl hunting in the Finger Lakes, where long-standing duck migration patterns and lake conditions shape each outing. His work reflects long-standing sporting traditions shaped by changing ecological conditions.
Captain Jared Jones of Wayfound Outdoors says fishing around the Finger Lakes is not rigid but reflective: “It’s a day to breathe. To be present. To remember who you are before life got so loud.” His guiding emphasizes awareness of wind, depth, structure, and seasonal movement, helping participants slow down and build a more intuitive understanding of the environment.
Human-Powered Exploration
Genesee Waterways Center (GWC) is a Rochester-based nonprofit that has spent more than 30 years connecting people to the Genesee River, Erie Canal, and regional waterways through kayaking, canoeing, rowing, and whitewater paddling. Operating access sites, including Genesee Valley Park and Lock 32, the organization promotes physical health, mental well-being, education, and environmental stewardship through hands-on outdoor experiences. GWC expands access to Rochester’s waterways while fostering appreciation for the region’s 100-mile “blueway” stretching from Lake Ontario to Pennsylvania.
South of Rochester, Canadice Lake Outfitters provides access to one of the Finger Lakes’ most protected environments. Canadice Lake is a preserved watershed with limited development and no swimming, camping, or large motorboats, offering quiet paddling, biking, and hiking experiences. The outfitter provides kayak, canoe, paddleboard, and bike rentals, along with guided and self-guided tours.
Outdoor Adventure Guides Help Find Your Way
Bill Waterhouse of Trail Otter (Dansville) has long connected people to the Finger Lakes through hiking and paddling experiences, including current Letchworth and Greenway challenge programs. His advice to adventurers emphasizes preparation and gradual growth: “Always tell someone where you are going and when you’ll return,” and “Dress in layers and expect to be out longer than you think.” He also recommends protecting against ticks with permetherin, investing time finding the right boots, and building from short hikes toward longer backcountry trips.
Randi Lynn Quackenbush of Crescent Moon Outdoors (Trumansburg) combines years of travel experience, both in the U.S. and abroad, with a strong commitment to helping women feel confident outdoors. “As women, we often receive so many messages about our safety in the outdoors and that we should be fearful,” she says, noting that she focuses her guiding business on an atmosphere of encouragement and skill-building, all designed to reduce barriers to entry, especially for women new to outdoor recreation.
Jeff Klein of Off Grid Adventures (Honeoye Falls) has spent nearly five decades immersed in the outdoors, fishing, hiking, backpacking, snowshoeing, and mountaineering. Much of Klein's guiding work is devoted to helping children and veterans achieve goals. He is an ADK 46er, having completed all 46 traditionally recognized High Peaks of the Adirondacks, but he puts that feat in perspective. That accomplishment, he says, 'doesn't even come close to being there for my son for all of his 46.'" He leads weekly military veterans hikes, helping newcomers experience mountain trails for the first time. His advice: “Leave the woods better than you found them, know your limits, and remember, it’s your hike. If you’re not feeling up to it, don’t do it.”
Cindy Prober (Rushville) approaches guiding through a therapeutic and accessibility-focused lens. An occupational therapist, Prober has spent nearly two decades hiking and backpacking throughout the region and now maintains trails and advocates for safe outdoor access. Inspired by a lifelong connection to the Bristol Hills, she earned her guide license after local Girl Scout troops sought licensed backpacking leadership. Prober is especially passionate about helping people with functional limitations experience wilderness spaces that may otherwise feel inaccessible. Her advice to adventurers: Understand trail systems and seasonal regulations, particularly on mixed-use and private lands, always inform someone of your plans, and always carry the 10 essentials.
Ed Erbland of The Outsiders (Byron) brings a lifelong Adirondack connection to his work as a guide specializing in fly fishing, backpacking, mountaineering, and outfitting. Raised on family camping trips in the Saranac Lakes region, Erbland expanded from hiking and peakbagging into four-season adventure travel, saying “I do most of my adventuring in the Adirondacks because it offers so much while remaining close to home.” His decision to begin guiding grew out of concern for environmental strain from increasing wilderness use. His advice to newcomers is: “Start small, know [your] limits, and make the adventure [your] own… Every outing—and every mistake—is a learning process.”
A Shared Outdoor Ethic Across the Region
The Rochester and Finger Lakes outdoor scene is defined less by any single activity than by the people who make it accessible. Across rivers, lakes, canals, and trails, guides and educators have turned recreation into something larger, a shared culture of stewardship, inclusion, and belonging. As interest grows, that spirit will be what keeps the region welcoming to newcomers and loyal to the land that brought them together.