The mighty
Columbia River
flows through Okanogan Country and creates some of the state’s best
fisheries and water recreation opportunities.The famous Grand Coulee and Chief Joseph Dams create
lakes along the river’s path, and the waters of the Columbia fill Banks Lake as well. Each of these lakes offer
year-round fishing and also create recreation destinations featuring water access, boating and jetskiing, parks,
campgrounds, and golfing.
Rufus Wood Lake
—Located upstream of Chief Joseph Dam, RufusWoods Reservoir is 51 miles long
with a year-round open season including trout and kokanee, walleye, yellow perch and smallmouth bass.
There is a state park with camping and boat launching facilities, two nearby golf courses (Gamble Sands and
Lakewoods Golf Course) and an Army Corps of Engineers hunting access area with boat launch. Free tours.
Banks Lake
—Banks Lake is a 27-miles-long, mile-wide reservoir formed by the North Dam near
Grand Coulee and the Dry Falls Dam near Coulee City and is filled with water from Lake Roosevelt (part
of the Columbia River). Most of the shoreline is ringed with basalt cliffs and talus slopes, rocky outcrops
and shrub-steppe habitat.There are about 23 islands in the reservoir from one to several acres in size.
Steamboat Rock, in the northern part of the lake, has varied wildlife and birdwatching opportunities,
including common loons, bald eagles, mule deer and peregrine falcons.
Lake Roosevelt
—The upper Columbia River gorge, within which Lake Roosevelt is a national recreation
area spanning three areas: the Okanogan Highlands, the Kootenay Arc, and the Columbia Plateau, each
of them featuring completely distinct geographic features and creating an incredibly diverse region. Lake
Roosevelt Reservoir was created in 1941 by the completion of Grand Coulee Dam. Includes130 miles of
water, 27 campgrounds, 22 boat launches, 10 swim beaches, and historical sites such as Fort SpokaneVisitor
Center and Museum and St. Paul’s Mission. For more info call Lake Roosevelt National Recreational Area:
(509) 633-9441.
Lake Pateros
—Located upstream ofWells Dam, this twenty (20) mile long reservoir contains a variety
of fish species, but it is noted for Steelhead, summer Chinook, and Sockeye salmon fisheries. Largemouth
Bass, Smallmouth bass andWalleye are also available.
The Grand Coulee Dam
—At an awe-inspiring span of 5,223 feet, the Grand Coulee Dam is the largest
concrete structure and largest electricity-producing facility in the United States. North America’s largest
outdoor laser light show is projected nightly onto the face of the Dam from Memorial Day through the
end of September, and a Fourth of July pyrotechnic show is launched every year from its top. AVisitor
Information Center at the Dam offers information and free tours.
Additional information available at &
• (360) 902.2200
Special thanks to theWashington Department of Fish andWildlife for its generous help with this and other projects.
OCTC maps & directions are for planning and informational purposes only, and not intended for navigation. Road construction, traffic, road closures, mapping errors, weather
conditions and/or other events may cause actual road conditions and directions to differ. In rural areas GPS can be unreliable or unavailable. Check the weather report and road
conditions at
and
Upper Columbia River Region Highlights
Alta Lake Golf Course
• Pateros (509) 923-2359
Banks Lake Golf Course
• Electric City (509) 633-1400
Gamble Sands
• Brewster (509) 436-8323
Lakewoods Golf Course
• Bridgeport (509) 686-5721
Coulee Dam Casino • (
800) 556-7492
Golf Courses & Casinos
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