Banks Lake Weekend Report

Once again KeeWee has taken all the good pictures and got her post up before I got anything at all posted. The best news of the whole trip was that the RV, and particularly the rebuilt engine, ran perfectly all weekend. I still wish it had another hundred cubic inches  for getting over the mountain passes, other than that I couldn't be happier with it. Our six and a half hour drive each way across the North Cascades Highway was spectacular. It looked like there was quite a bit more snow than usual for this time of year. KeeWee has a spectacular slide show on her blog, and if you've never been across the Highway 20 North Cascades before, it's something to see.

Once we reached Banks Lake and Coulee Playland Resort we launched the boat and pulled it up on the beach directly in front of our campsite. Then we parked the boat trailer and the RV in our campsite and hooked up shore power. The wind was blowing harder than I liked, so I decided to kick back and see if the wind dropped off by evening. It didn't, but I took a nap instead.

Friday we just took it easy, but I did get in a little fishing, picking up and releasing a couple of small mouth bass. Grand Coulee Dam was pumping a lit of cold Columbia river water in and out of Banks lake, so the North end of the lake was running around 54 or 55 degrees. When it's that cold the bass fishing suffers as the fish are either lethargic, or have headed farther down the lake in search of warmer waters. Half way down the lake near Steamboat Rock (approximately 15 miles?) the water temperature was nearer to 65 or 66 degrees, and fishing was lively. With my 12' boat that was farther than I wanted to go, considering just how quickly Banks lake can get dangerous if the wind comes up suddenly, and it DOES come up suddenly there!

Saturday we spent most of the day on the water, both casting for bass, and catching a few, and trolling for Walleye. I hooked one walleye, but it was 3/8" too short to keep, which was OK as I really didn't want to clean fish anyway. We also picked up a few small yellow perch trolling for the walleyes, but they were small so we put them back to grow some more for next year.

Saturday afternoon our fishing club had a potluck dinner, and the food was wonderful. Everyone was stuffed beyond what a sensible person would have eaten! Saturday evening I got back out for a little more fishing, but the North end of the lake was still slow, and I only caught one bass. The fishing was fun, even if the catching was slow.

Sunday morning we loaded the boat back onto the trailer, hitched the trailer to the RV, and drop the six and a half hours back over the North Cascades to home. We put the boat back into the barn, and shortly thereafter were sound asleep. I did manage to get in some quality bunny lap sitting and petting with Bun, though, as she missed us and was glad to see us back home again, however, before zonking out for the night. Driving the RV across the winding North Cascades highway on a gusty and windy day was a cross between herding mice and wrestling with a small grizzly bear, and I was bushed. Bed felt good.................