Name	County	Water/Land own/mgt	Location	Boat Launch	Toilet	Camp	Special Information
Ankeny #1	Grant	Banks Lk WA	2 mi W of Coulee City on Hwy 2, R at sign N 1.2 mi to camping and boat launch	X	X	X
Ankeny #2	Grant	Banks Lk WA	2 mi W of Coulee City on Hwy 2, R at sign 1/4 mi turn R at Y	X	X
Barker Canyon	Grant	Banks Lk WA	10 mi N & W of Grand Coulee on Hwy 174 to Barker Canyon rd, L for 6.1 mi	X	X	X
Fordair	Grant		.3 mi E of Coulee City L on Rd I.8 for.6 mi, L at sign for lst or R .3 to J NE L .7
Lena Lake	Grant		3/4 mi N of Coulee City - cross dam, L on dirt rd for 3/4 mi			X
Million Dollar - N	Grant	Banks Lake WA	9 mi NE of Coulee City on Hwy 155	X	X	X
Million Dollar - S	Grant	Banks Lake WA	6 mi NE of Coulee City on Hwy 155		X
Osborne Bay	Grant	Banks Lake WA	1 mi SW of Electric City on Hwy 155 turn left at sign	X		X
Poplars	Grant	Banks Lake WA	12.9 mi on Hwy 155 NE of Coulee City, L at sign, go 500'

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The Banks Lake Wildlife Area is located in the upper Grand Coulee of central Washington. It is an artificial impoundment built to store and supply irrigation water for the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project. Banks Lake is over 50 miles long and varies from one to three miles in width. It has about 91 miles of shoreline, most of which is ringed with basalt cliffs and talus slopes. The timing and magnitude of reservoir fluctuations impedes the development of wetland and riparian vegetation along the lake margin, and, therefore, limits fish and wildlife habitat.

Shallow soils and rocky outcrops characterize the dry upland portions of this unit. A shrub steppe community, dominated by sagebrush, perennial forbs, cheatgrass, Sanberg bluegrass, and bluebunch wheatgrass occurs on these areas. In areas with deeper soils and on talus slopes, woody shrubs are more common. Intermittently-flooded depressions with poor drainage and alkaline soils support greasewood, saltgrass, and Basin wild ryegrass. Willows and Russian olives grow on the fringes of some cattail and bulrush wetland areas. There are about 23 islands in the reservoir. The southern islands are basalt outcroppings, while the northern ones are granite. The islands vary in size from less than one acre to several acres. Steamboat Rock, in the northern part of the lake, is the largest of several peninsulas. The top of Steamboat Rock is a Research Natural Area. Across the lake to the east is the Castle Rock Natural Area. Both of these areas exhibit some uncommon examples of undisturbed, northern Columbia Basin vegetation associations.

Banks Lake is just one of several Wildlife Areas in the Columbia Basin which is one of the most important waterfowl breeding grounds in Washington. Millions of other birds also use the waters and marshes for resting and feeding on their annual migrations along the Pacific Flyway. The thousands of small lakes, potholes, and seeps are home to Canada geese, mallards, redheads, canvasbacks, ringnecks, ruddy ducks, gadwalls, blue and greenwing teal, shovelers, pintails, goldeneyes, and wood ducks. Shorebirds abound and Caspian terns, pelicans, sandhill cranes, swans, and many other rare birds are seen. Ring-billed gulls, Brewer's, red-winged, and yellow-headed blackbirds, kildeer, meadowlarks, and horned larks are found. Game birds including pheasant, chukar and Hungarian partridge, and quail are common, though sage and sharp-tailed grouse have severely declined in numbers.

Coyotes are the most abundant predatory mammal. Jackrabbits, marmots, ground squirrels, muskrats, and a wide variety of mice and shrews occur. Mule deer occur in fringe areas where suitable habitat exists. Resident prairie falcons, red-tailed and Swainson's hawks, golden eagles, wintering bald eagles, colonies of burrowing owls, and the occasional snowy owl or gyrfalcon are also present. The vast expanse of water, cattail marshes, potholes, and wetlands offer a wide variety of water-related experiences. The fishing is outstanding, especially for bass, perch, sunfish, and crappie. Rainbow trout are stocked.