July 25 | Banks Lake, WA
Banks Lake is a reservoir carved into the floor of the Grand Coulee — a massive, canyon-like trench gouged through the basalt plains of eastern Washington by the catastrophic Ice Age floods known as the Missoula Floods. The coulee’s steep, cliff-lined walls and distinctive boxy cross-section are a direct product of that ancient geology, and they give Banks Lake one of the most dramatic settings of any tournament fishery in the Pacific Northwest. The reservoir was filled as part of the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project following the construction of Grand Coulee Dam, with water pumped up from Lake Roosevelt and held between the North Dam near Electric City and Dry Falls Dam near Coulee City. It sits at an elevation of 1,571 feet on the Columbia Plateau.
Stretching nearly 27 miles from Coulee City in the south to Electric City in the north, Banks Lake is defined by its structure. The shoreline is dominated by basalt cliffs, talus slopes, and rocky points — prime real estate for smallmouth bass, which are the signature species here. Smallmouth are found throughout the lake and have a well-earned reputation for both numbers and size, with fish in the 4-pound range common and bruisers pushing 6 pounds showing up regularly enough to draw tournament circuits year after year. Largemouth bass are also present, concentrated in the northern end of the lake where grassy shorelines, marshy inlets, and bays like Osborne Bay and Devils Punch Bowl provide softer-water cover. Submerged roadbeds and old pre-reservoir features add to the structure mix, holding fish along their broken shale edges. Beyond bass, the lake supports walleye, yellow perch, black crappie, rainbow trout, kokanee, lake whitefish, channel catfish, bluegill, burbot, and kokanee salmon.
The average depth is 46 feet, with a maximum depth of 177 feet. Boundaries for this event feature approximately 26,888 acres of water and 91 miles of shoreline.
Qualifier for the KFNW Kayak Bass Classic and the West Coast Championship
- Top 10% of the field qualifies for the KFNW Kayak Bass Classic on October 3-4 on the Columbia River (Lake Bonneville).
- Top 25% of the field qualifies for the West Coast Championship on August 21-22.
Last time we visited Banks: September 14, 2024
We had 27 anglers and 158 fish were submitted. Trey Potts (Dayton, WA) took first with 84.75 inches, including a 18 inch largemouth kicker. Luke Loper (McCall, ID) took second place with 76.75 inches and an 18.75 inch smallmouth kicker. Michael Mumford (Nampa, ID) took third with 74.25 inches and an 16.5 inch smallmouth kicker. Big Bass of the day went to TK Osojnicki (Boise, ID)) with that 19 inch largemouth.
Tournament Schedule
All times are Mountain Daylight Time (PDT)
Off-Limits Period
- Saturday, June 6, 2026 at 12:00 AM through Friday, June 19, 2026 at 11:59 PM
Registration Deadline
- Friday, June 19, 2026 at 11:59 PM
- Late registration is available on a limited basis, and is first-come, first-served. There is a $10 service fee for late registration.
Official Practice Period
- Saturday, June 20, 2026 through Friday, June 26, 2026
- 6:30 AM – Practice Launch / Lines In
- 2:30 PM – Practice Lines Out / Off the Water
Friday – June 26, 2026
- 6:00 PM – Pre-Event Briefing | Kelly’s Whitewater Park
- 10:00 PM – Identifier Code Released
Saturday – June 27, 2026
- 5:30 AM to 6:00 AM – Virtual Check-In and Selfie
- Anglers are required to check-in on TourneyX (cell service permitting) and take a selfie at their launch, within this window. Failure to display a selfie when requested by tournament officials at the Awards may result in disqualification.
- 5:55 AM – Launch (Designated Launches) | Human-Powered
- 6:00 AM – Launch (Designated Launches) | Electric Motors
- 6:18 AM – Sunrise
- 6:30 AM – Lines In
- 2:30:00 PM – Lines Out
- 3:30 PM – Upload Deadline / Off the Water
- Cell Service on Water: Good
- Cellular service may not be available on the water. It is the competitor’s responsibility to find service and upload their fish before the Upload Deadline.
- 4:30:00 PM – Awards Ceremony and Gear Drawing | Kelly’s Whitewater Park
Competitors MUST be present at Awards ceremony location by this time. Competitors who are not present by this time will be disqualified.
Pre-Event Briefing
Pre-Event Briefing and Awards Location
- Kelly’s Whitewater Park
- We should be set up in the empty gravel lot southeast of the park entrance.
- 330 Kelly’s Pkwy, Cascade, ID 83611
- https://maps.app.goo.gl/faeJnEfnNAH5YXFZA
Pre-Event Briefing Details
- Before the Pre-Event Briefing, a video will be published to go over specific details for this Tour Event. Certain rules may be discussed, but we will not review all the rules. It is the competitor’s responsibility to read and know all rules as published in the Rules Standard.
- A signed hard copy of the Liability Release is required by all competitors for each Event. You can download the Liability Release in advance and bring the completed form (download below).
- Electric Motor Inspection form is required for any competitor with a DIY or non-standard motor setup. If you have a non-standard setup, contact the Tournament Director to see if an inspection is necessary.
- Certified bump board is required and board check will be performed. Boards should be clean and dry.
- Competitors will have the opportunity to ask any questions before the meeting is adjourned.
- Attendance at the Pre-Event Briefing is mandatory. If you can’t attend the meeting due to work or an unavoidable obligation, another angler can bring your Liability Release and bump board on your behalf. This solely the responsibility of the two competitors and no exceptions will be given.
Location Details
Idaho Regulations and Links
- An Idaho fishing license is required (temporary or annual) – Visit IDFG
- Watercraft registration is required for motorized watercraft (residents only) – Visit Idaho Parks & Rec
- Watercraft (residents and non-residents) need an Invasive Species Sticker – Visit Idaho Parks & Rec or a Participating Vendor
- To be exempt, watercraft need to meet ALL of the following criteria:
- Less than 10ft in length
- Non-motorized
- Inflatable
Eligible Water Boundaries
- Main body of water
- North boundary shown in map above
- Gold Fork River boundary shown in map above
- Connected creeks, rivers, sloughs and tributaries accessible via kayak from the main body of water are in-bounds (conditions permitting for safety and accessibility)
- Disconnected sloughs and ponds are out-of-bounds
- Portaging is not permitted
- Only public waters are allowed
Designated Launch Locations
- Google Maps Link >
- Blue Heron Campground Boat Ramp (improved)
- Boulder Creek Day Use Area and Boat Ramp (improved)
- Buttercup Boat Ramp (improved)
- Campbell Creek Boat Ramp (improved)
- City Of Donnelly Boat Ramp (improved)
- French Creek Boat Docks (semi-improved)
- Lake Cascade Boat Access (improved)
- Poison Creek Campground Boat Ramp (improved)
- Rainbow Point Boat Ramp (improved)
- Sugarloaf Campground (improved)
- No other launches are allowed
Safety Notes
- An overhead 360° light is required in low light conditions. A high-visibility flag, vest-type PFD, and sound signaling device (whistle) are required on the water at all times. Failure to utilize any of this safety equipment may result in disqualification.
Tournament Director
- Marvin Forte
- Email: marvinforte@kayakfishingnorthwest.com
- Phone: (602) 410-1002
Links
KAYAK FISHING NORTHWEST IS PRESENTED BY:
