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Banks Lake is one of the reservoirs LakeRadar tracks in Washington. Its recorded surface area is approximately 26,888 acres. Fish documented in the area include Rainbow Trout, Pumpkinseed, Yellow Perch, and Largemouth Bass. Nearby alternatives include Banks Lake, Billy Clapp Lake, and Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake. The page brings together an hourly and 7-day forecast, wind and gust outlook, fishing conditions, and activity scores for boating, paddling, and swimming. Check the hourly forecast and activity outlook below before heading out to Banks Lake.
Updated
Alerts are published by official agencies and shown verbatim. View the official alert source.
Blowing Dust Advisory issued October 8 at 1:33PM PDT until October 9 at 7:00PM PDT by NWS Spokane WA
Overall Good (82/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Fishing (87/100).
How the score is calculated →Best excellent fishing window, averaging 92/100 across these hours. Wind 7 mph from the south. Dawn hours (07:00 local). Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 56° | 55° | 54° | 54° | 53° | 52° | 52° | 52° | 56° | 59° | 62° | 63° | 65° | 65° | 65° | 65° | 62° | 59° | 57° | 54° | 52° | 51° | 49° | 48° |
| Wind (kts) | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 11 |
| Direction | SE | SE | SE | S | S | S | S | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | SW | W | W | W | W | W | W | NW | NW |
| Gusts (kts) | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 23 | 27 | 33 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 37 | 36 | 35 | 31 | 27 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 17 | 17 |
| Precip % | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 1 AM PDT | 56°F | 6 mph SE (135°) | 7 mph | 0% | 60% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 2 AM PDT | 55°F | 7 mph SE (135°) | 8 mph | 0% | 55% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 3 AM PDT | 54°F | 6 mph SE (135°) | 8 mph | 0% | 53% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 4 AM PDT | 54°F | 7 mph S (180°) | 8 mph | 0% | 33% | Partly Cloudy |
| Fri, 5 AM PDT | 53°F | 7 mph S (180°) | 13 mph | 3% | 31% | Partly Cloudy |
| Fri, 6 AM PDT | 52°F | 7 mph S (180°) | 15 mph | 3% | 42% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 7 AM PDT | 52°F | 7 mph S (180°) | 17 mph | 3% | 43% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 8 AM PDT | 52°F | 9 mph SW (225°) | 21 mph | 3% | 52% | Partly Sunny |
| Fri, 9 AM PDT | 56°F | 12 mph SW (225°) | 27 mph | 3% | 49% | Mostly Sunny |
| Fri, 10 AM PDT | 59°F | 12 mph SW (225°) | 31 mph | 3% | 57% | Partly Sunny |
| Fri, 11 AM PDT | 62°F | 16 mph SW (225°) | 38 mph | 3% | 54% | Patchy Blowing Dust |
| Fri, 12 PM PDT | 63°F | 17 mph SW (225°) | 40 mph | 3% | 52% | Patchy Blowing Dust |
| Fri, 1 PM PDT | 65°F | 20 mph SW (225°) | 41 mph | 3% | 64% | Patchy Blowing Dust |
| Fri, 2 PM PDT | 65°F | 22 mph SW (225°) | 43 mph | 3% | 60% | Areas Of Blowing Dust |
| Fri, 3 PM PDT | 65°F | 23 mph SW (225°) | 43 mph | 3% | 53% | Areas Of Blowing Dust |
| Fri, 4 PM PDT | 65°F | 23 mph SW (225°) | 41 mph | 3% | 42% | Areas Of Blowing Dust |
| Fri, 5 PM PDT | 62°F | 23 mph W (270°) | 40 mph | 0% | 25% | Areas Of Blowing Dust |
| Fri, 6 PM PDT | 59°F | 21 mph W (270°) | 36 mph | 0% | 21% | Areas Of Blowing Dust |
| Fri, 7 PM PDT | 57°F | 17 mph W (270°) | 31 mph | 0% | 29% | Areas Of Blowing Dust |
| Fri, 8 PM PDT | 54°F | 15 mph W (270°) | 27 mph | 0% | 24% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 9 PM PDT | 52°F | 15 mph W (270°) | 27 mph | 0% | 17% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 10 PM PDT | 51°F | 15 mph W (270°) | 27 mph | 0% | 19% | Mostly Clear |
| Fri, 11 PM PDT | 49°F | 13 mph NW (315°) | 20 mph | 0% | 19% | Mostly Clear |
| Sat, 12 AM PDT | 48°F | 13 mph NW (315°) | 20 mph | 0% | 26% | Partly Cloudy |
| Sat, 1 AM PDT | 47°F | 13 mph NW (315°) | 20 mph | 0% | 31% | Partly Cloudy |
Official National Weather Service hourly forecast. Showing 10 of 25 hours. Wind arrows point the way the wind is blowing; the compass point and degrees show where it comes from.
| Period | Tonight October 8, 2026 | Tonight October 8, 2026 | Overnight October 9, 2026 | Friday October 9, 2026 | Friday Night October 9, 2026 | Saturday October 10, 2026 | Saturday Night October 10, 2026 | Sunday October 11, 2026 | Sunday Night October 11, 2026 | Columbus Day October 12, 2026 | Monday Night October 12, 2026 | Tuesday October 13, 2026 | Tuesday Night October 13, 2026 | Wednesday October 14, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 52° | 52° | 52° | 67° | 42° | 57° | 43° | 56° | 38° | 59° | 38° | 60° | 41° | 62° |
| Wind | S 7 mph | S 7 mph | S 7 mph | SW 7 to 23 mph | NW 10 to 21 mph | N 10 to 14 mph | N 14 to 22 mph | NE 14 to 24 mph | N 7 to 14 mph | NW 3 to 10 mph | SE 6 mph | SE 7 mph | SW 7 mph | NW 8 mph |
| Gusts | 12 mph | 12 mph | 13 mph | 43 mph | 36 mph | 25 mph | 30 mph | 38 mph | 29 mph | 13 mph | 8 mph | 12 mph | 12 mph | 16 mph |
| Precip % | 4% | 4% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 37% | 37% | 3% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 4% | 14% | 14% |
| Forecast |
Good for fishing (87/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 6 mph from the southeast. 0% chance of precipitation. Not available from a verified source for this lake: pressure trend, water temperature. Confidence is moderate (74%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Good for boating (81/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 6 mph from the southeast. Gusts to 7 mph. Working against it: Active moderate alert: Blowing Dust Advisory. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility and conditions, verified water access. Confidence is moderate (84%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Good for sailing (75/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Gusts are within 1 mph of sustained wind, so the breeze is steady. Wind 6 mph from the SE is workable but not ideal. Working against it: Active moderate alert: Blowing Dust Advisory. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Good for kayaking (82/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 6 mph from the southeast. Gusts to 7 mph. Working against it: Active moderate alert: Blowing Dust Advisory. Confidence is high (90%).
Water temperature is not available from a verified source for this lake. No swimming score is shown without it.
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Individual boat ramp GPS coordinates are maintained under the jurisdiction of WA Parks & Wildlife Authority. Public boaters should verify seasonal launch water levels, gate hours, and daily vehicle/vessel fees before traveling.
Celebrated for its accessible waters and scenic surroundings, Banks Lake is a standout freshwater reservoir in WA for weekend recreation. Boaters, anglers, and paddlers share its waters while enjoying well-maintained public amenities around the perimeter. Always check local launch ramp conditions and weather windows before arrival.
Valid freshwater sport fishing license issued by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is required for anglers age 15+. Digital license on mobile is accepted.
Mandatory Clean, Drain & Dry inspection. Out-of-area craft require on-site Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS Quagga/Zebra) inspection or decontamination before launch. USCG life jackets required for all.
Public shoreline and boating access managed by State & Local Authorities. Verify seasonal gate hours, launch fees, and parking rules before travel.
High-speed motorboating, pontoon cruising, wakeboarding, and water skiing across main channels. Target gamefish include Rainbow Trout, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Yellow Perch, Largemouth Bass. Morning hours typically provide optimal glassy conditions for kayak and stand-up paddleboard (SUP) touring.
Warm water temperatures, peak swimming, active watersports, and open full-service campgrounds. Highest weekly attendance; plan early arrivals on summer weekends.
Spring pre-spawn and fall feeding transitions create prime trophy angling conditions. Cooler air, lower boat traffic, and vibrant seasonal shoreline foliage.
Mild year-round outdoor climate. Uncrowded waters, active winter bass and crappie fishing, and open year-round boat launch access.
No external source rows are cited by the data currently shown on this page.
Updated
Scores are heuristics, not safety guarantees. LakeRadar scores summarize available conditions and are not a substitute for official warnings, local rules, or on-water judgment.
All telemetry for Banks Lake is synchronized directly from authorized federal and state monitoring networks (USGS, NWS, NOAA, and state environmental authorities). Observations are strictly instrumented readings — unmonitored sensors are transparently disclosed rather than synthetic estimates.
Last source audit: Oct 9, 1:15 AM PDT