Banks Lake

Banks Lake is a reservoir in central Washington that stretches for 43 kilometers (27 miles) through the Grand Coulee, held at an elevation of 480 meters (1,574 feet) by two earth-fill dams. The shoreline runs for 217 kilometers (135 miles) and offers numerous boat launches and camping areas along the water.

The reservoir was created as part of the Columbia Basin Project, which aimed to bring irrigation water to the dry regions east of the Cascade Range. It bears the name of Frank A. Banks, who oversaw construction of the Grand Coulee Dam.

The water feeds thousands of square miles of farmland across the Columbia Basin, turning dry plains into productive cropland. Anglers visit throughout the year, as the reservoir offers changing seasons for different fish populations.

State Route 155 runs along the western side and provides direct access to many points along the shore. Several turnoffs lead to ramps and camping areas that remain open throughout the year.

Water is pumped 85 meters (280 feet) upward from the Columbia River to fill the reservoir, which sits in an ancient Ice Age channel. The system can hold over 1.5 billion cubic meters (1,237,000 acre-feet) of water.