Guided Fly and Spey Fishing Trips for Steelhead and Brown Trout with
Fish Lake Run Outfitters
Epic New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio Fly Fishing!
Quality Guided New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio Fishing Trips with Experienced Guides!
New York Fly Fishing
Fall in New York State is a beautiful thing. The colors of the trees change as the weather cools. But more importantly, legions of chrome fish pour into the rivers and streams that feed into Lakes Erie and Ontario. And we like to catch them. Lots of them.
Beginning by the end of September, steelhead and lake run brown trout running anywhere from 5 to 15 pounds or more nose their way into the rivers. Fresh from the big lakes, these fish are aggressive freight trains on fly tackle. Specializing in swinging streamers and spey fishing but incredibly proficient in all manners of fly fishing, Fish Lake Run Outfitters has the equipment and skill to provide a successful fly fishing adventure for anglers of all experience levels on a Guided Trip or at one of our Hosted New York Fishing Trips!
In the fall our home waters include the crown jewel of New York Fly Fishing for Steelhead: Cattaraugus Creek. Cattaraugus Creek has hosted wild steelhead since the late 1800's. Its boulder strewn runs and pools make Cattaraugus Creek one of the premier destinations for spey fishing in the Northeast. Swing a line with us and we'll show you.
In periods of inclement weather, we fish other area streams. These smaller spate creeks fish incredibly well with a bump in flows from fall storms. It is not uncommon for high numbers of fish to pile into some of the smaller streams after a rain.
To the north, the Lake Ontario creeks and rivers are some of the premier trophy brown trout fisheries in the world. We see fish in the mid to upper teens most years. If you're looking for a ten-to-fifteen-pound plus brown trout, we know where to take you.
All in all, fall fly fishing in New York for steelhead and lake run brown trout is nothing short of spectacular, and a guided or hosted New York fly fishing trip with Fish Lake Run Outfitters is perfect way to experience just what New York fly fishing has to offer.
Ohio Spring Fishing
During the months of January and February, things slow down. The weather is unpredictable (though fishing can be excellent as conditions allow). As March rolls around our spring steelhead season really kicks off. When the ice thaws in the spring, steelhead run the Ohio rivers by the thousands! With lots of water and rivers perfectly sized for spey fishing, Ohio's spring steelhead fishery is nothing short of spectacular.
Ohio sees strong returns of Little Manistee strain Michigan steelhead, a fish that averages larger than other strains stocked into the lake. If you had to ask me where and when I was going to see the largest steelhead of the year, I wouldn't hesitate to say it would probably be a spring fish from an Ohio river. Most years we see a few upwards of twelve pounds, and sometimes even larger than that. With solid returns as a result of smart management, Ohio has turned into the most dependable spring spey fishery I know of. We can't wait to show you the spey fishing Ohio has to offer!
Giant Ohio fish!
Steelhead stick around in the Ohio rivers until early May. As an added bonus in April and May Lake Erie's native smallmouth run the rivers for their own spawning run. At this time of year it is possible to catch a ten pound steelhead and a five pound smallmouth bass on back to back casts!
Pennsylvania Trout
Though there are usually good numbers of steelhead still available until the middle of May, we don't really like to fish for them beyond the end of April, as in most years the water temperatures start getting fairly warm. Instead, we shift our focus toward Pennsylvania's trophy wild brown trout! In the creeks and rivers of Northwestern and Northcentral Pennsylvania wild brown trout up to two feet or more prowl the log jams and boulder runs just ready to annihilate a big streamer stripped through their territory.
These brutes are tackle busting warriors that will bend a solid 8 weight to the cork! Fishing remains good for stream trout until the water warms in late June or early July, and then again periodically with trends of cooler, wet weather that roll through intermittently for the rest of the summer. If checking a better than 20" wild brown off your list is something you have in mind, give us a call. We know where you can get that done...
Our Operation
Fish Lake Run is a fully licensed and insured fly fishing guide service that provides guided and hosted fly fishing trips to Western New York, Central Pennsylvania, and Ohio. A trip with us will find you searching for steelhead or brown trout in some of the most productive runs in the area.
And with 30 years of fishing experience in New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, we know where all the good fishing is!
Noel with an Awesome Ohio Fish!
Pricing
- Wade Trip- $400 for 1 or 2 anglers- Additional anglers $150.00 (Groups up to 6)
- Lake Ontario Brown Trout Wade Trip- $500 for 1 or 2 anglers- Additional anglers $150.00 (Groups up to 6)
- Drift boat/Raft Trip- $500 for 1 or 2 anglers- (Groups up to 5)
- Hosted Trips- $1,375/person- (Groups up to 6)
17 pound brown trout anyone?
Contact Info:
Professional Certifications and Memberships:
- Trout Unlimited Business Member
- Coast Guard Captian's License (OUPV)
- Kenai River Professional Guides Association
- New York State Guide # 6809
- Lake County Metroparks Guide Permit (Ohio)
- First Aid/CPR AED Certified
Give me a call to talk fishing!
Recent Photos
Updated 10/17/2022
Check out our Blog for even more pictures, fishing reports, fly tying instructions, techniques and much more!
What's New for 2022?
Here at Fish Lake Run, we're always on the lookout for new and exciting ways to stay fresh. People want chromers not spawners. Check out what's in the works for 2022!
- More Trophy Wild Trout! If you're looking to streamer fish for trophy wild trout, you've come to the right place!
- Check out Fly Fisherman's Guide to Steelhead Alley! It should be coming to a fly shop near you any day now. Part how to, part river journal, I'm excited to share our love of Steelhead Alley with any who are interested!
Guide Matt Rysak with a nice Lake Erie steelhead!
About Me:
Hey, interested anglers! I'm Daren, the owner/head guide here at Fish Lake Run. A little about me- I grew up splitting my time between Northeast Ohio and Western New York, fishing steelhead, browns, and salmon for as long as I can remember. I bought my first spey rod, a St. Croix Imperial 13'6" 7/8, in 2003 and started casting on an old fashioned salmon double taper haha.
In 2008, I began guiding on the Kenai River with Great Alaska. I spent 5 summers with them as a guide targeting salmon and trout and running both a drift boat and a river sled. After Great Alaska, I spent a summer as a Spey Fishing Guide with Alaska West on the famous Kanektok River, focusing on targeting kings and other salmon and trout with spey rods. Tons of fun!
Since 2010, I've been guiding the rivers and creeks of "Steelhead Alley" and the south shore of Lake Ontario. My focus now is targeting aggressive steelhead, lake run browns, and salmon on switch and spey rods!
For more information about steelhead fly fishing, spey fishing, to book a trip, or simply to shoot the shit about fly fishing, give me a call or shoot me an email!
- Daren
Client Reviews:
"Daren immediately made me feel at ease with his humility and kindness. In the course of our time together, I became aware of his incredible depth of knowledge of fish, the rivers and the art of fly fishing, but it was shared in such a way as to be informative and not the least bit arrogant. I often feel intimidated by some guides, but Daren's level of respect for me as a person created an element of trust that I've never found in another guide. I recommend his services with the highest marks possible. I look forward to fishing with him again and is such a fantastic guide that I would book a trip to the waters he serves just for the opportunity to fish with him. A five star guide on every level!"
- Rick McNary, February 2018
"My son and I went on a weekend trip with Daren in New York for Steelhead. We had the time of our lives! Daren ensured that we got on fish and had ample opportunity to catch some monsters. Daren is also very good at providing instruciton that helps improve your fishing skills. If you are considering a guided trip I recommend that you contact Daren, you will not be sorry!"
- Greg Cunningham- Repeat Client December 2017
"I can't say enough...This was only my fourth time ever fly fishing and he, within just a couple of hours showed me the ropes and had me hooked into some steelhead including some huge fish 30-34"! The whole experience vastly exceeded my expectations!'
- Chris Pereira- April 2017
"Awesome fishing guide! Top notch knowledge of the area, and fishing in general. You really get a sense of his expertise and passion for the sport. He also caters to people of all levels of expertise, which is great for me as an inexperienced fly fisherman... I pulled in 10+ fish on my first fly fishing trip! If you are thinking about fishing in Ohio or New York, I would not hesitate to use this service. I have been on multiple trips with this service, and have had a blast every time."
- Mike Touvelle- Repeat Client since 2016
"One of the hands down best guides in the business. I booked two days of fishing with him. Prior to the trip, I had virtually no experience fly fishing. He is an incredible and patient teacher, and had me casting and landing big steelhead in no time. On the second day, he guided me to my personal best brown trout over 10lbs. Not only is he a superb guide, but he has an in depth knowledge of salmonids and an expert eye for reading a river. Book a trip with him for the fly fishing experience of a lifetime."
- Justin Lerner, Repeat Client Since '16
"This is my third time fishing with fish lake run and each time I have had an amazing experience. I have fly fished NY and Ohio, I have also drift boated PA. Daren took time before and during to teach me about the area and the water the fish and what affected there behaviors he knew when the fish jumped sex and weight instantly he also knew exactly what flies to use for time of year and time of day. Highly recommended and I will certainly be back with more people."
- Blaine Henry- Repeat Client since 2015
"They do a great job of knowing where fish are and great job of teaching you to pull in the big one! The first time I've ever went fishing was with this service and after pulling in tons of fish will never use another service. Their moto should be "crushing it" because we always crush it every time."
- Tony Barone, Repeat Client Since '15
"Best guide service in the Great Lakes region! Very knowledgeable of the rivers and he WILL put you on fish! Always a great time! Highly recommend!"
- Brent Styer, Repeat Client Since '11
"Great guiding service! Everyone is extremely knowledgeable and they are willing to share this knowledge with you. They can read the rivers like a book. If you want to fly fish the Great Lakes region definitely book these guys!"
- Max Stevenson, Repeat Client Since '10