LAKES AND WILDLIFE
BANKS LAKE
Banks Lake
The Banks Lake unit includes 44,700 BOR acres and 41 WDFW acres in the upper Grand Coulee on 27-mile-long Banks Lake. Banks Lake is a man-made impoundment for irrigation water in the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project. It is formed by the North Dam near Grand Coulee and the Dry Falls Dam near Coulee City and is filled with water from Franklin D. Roosevelt Reservoir (Lake Roosevelt). Most of the shoreline is ringed with basalt cliffs and talus slopes, the dry uplands have shallow soils and rocky outcrops with shrub-steppe habitat. Willows and Russian olives grow on the fringes of some cattail and bulrush wetland areas. There are about 23 islands in the reservoir from one to several acres in size, including basalt and granite outcroppings, shrub-steppe and wetlands. Steamboat Rock(pictured above), in the northern part of the lake, is the largest of several peninsulas and is designated a Research Natural Area. Unique wildlife use can include common loons, wintering bald eagles, mule deer and peregrine falcons. From Coulee City at the south to Electric City at the north, this large reservoir is very popular with anglers pursuing many species. Smallmouth Bass and Walleye are the most popular species. There is also a loyal following of anglers who fish for the reservoirs most numerous species, Lake Whitefish. Panfish, Rainbow Trout, and Kokanee can also be caught in Banks Lake. During most winters Banks Lake freezes over providing a popular ice fishery.
Franklin Roosevelt Lake (Lake Roosevelt)
Franklin Roosevelt Lake (Lake Roosevelt)
This Columbia River impoundment stretches more than 150 miles from Grand Coulee Dam into Canada and is managed cooperatively between WDFW, the Colville Confederated Tribe of Indians and The Spokane Tribe of Indians. Fishing season is open year-round, except for sturgeon, which are closed to fishing all year. Rainbow Trout, Kokanee, Walleye and Smallmouth Bass are the star attractions. Cooperative net-pen rearing projects at numerous locations provide the Rainbow Trout fishery. The cooperative net-pen project plants approximately 750,000 triploid catchable Rainbow Trout annually into Lake Roosevelt. Check the latest regulations pamphlet for special trout and Kokanee rules and redefined San Poil River boundaries. Other fish available to catch are Burbot, Lake Whitefish, and Yellow Perch. Bow-and-arrow fishing for Common Carp is prohibited.
Lake Roosevelt is one of the waters on which we conduct our annual Fall Walleye Index Netting (FWIN) surveys. The FWIN methodology was developed in Ontario, Canada as a means of monitoring a wide variety of biological parameters in Walleye populations in a standardized fashion using gill nets. Our latest report can be found here. http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01717/
The National Park Service operates 35 recreation areas along the 660 miles of shoreline. Maps are available at the dam's visitor center and WDFW Spokane office. Water level fluctuations can be a problem for boat launching. For current water level information, call (800) 824-4916. The Washington Department of Health (DOH) has issued this fish consumption advisory for Lake Roosevelt due to mercury contamination: pregnant women, women of childbearing age, and children under six years of age should eat no more than two meals of walleye (8-ounce portion) a month. For more information, check the DOH
More Information can be found at http://wdfw.wa.gov/
Rufus Woods Lake
Rufus Woods Lake
Located below Grand Coulee Dam, Rufus Woods Lake is 51 miles long. It has a year round fishing season. Trout daily limit is two and includes Kokanee. On the waters of Rufus Woods, or within designated fishing areas (DFA), which are located and marked as such on the Colville reservation shoreline, either a tribal permit or Washington State fishing license shall be acceptable. A Washington State license is required when fishing from the Douglas County shoreline. Walleye, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, and kokanee are also available. There is a state park with camping and boat launching facilities, an Army Corps of Engineers access area with boat launch, along with several access areas along the Colville side of the reservoir throughout coulee dam.