CS2027 dates

Kite spot on water · United States

Banks Lake

Riders have kited it in S.

Show on the map47.8273, -119.1526
Works in
S
Watch out
S
Nearest airport
EATPangborn Memorial Airport, 92 km

Forecast and webcams

Before you go

Forecasts often disagree. When Windguru, ALADIN and Windy agree, it is worth going.

Tips for this spot

  • Offshore wind carries you away from land. Do not ride it without a rescue boat.
  • When a storm is coming, get out of the water and land the kite at once. Gusts before a storm are violent and a kite overhead is the highest point around.
  • New spot: ask locals about shallows, currents and where people launch.

On site

Wind and riding area

NNNENEENEEESESESSESSSWSWWSWWWNWNWNNWNESW

worksdoes not work / gustyno reports

Direction the wind blows from. Based on riders' experience, not a forecast.

From riders

What you need to know

Watch out S
Wind can be extremely gusty (e.g., 5 to 25 knots (13 m/s)) or light.

Where to launch

  • At high water levels, there is almost no beach for rigging.community map

Getting there

  • After entering Steamboat Rock State Park, turn left onto the old road after about 100 yards and drive another 100 yards to the lake.community map

Conditions

  • Small bay with a mostly sandy bottom and fairly shallow water.community map
In riders' own words
  • „Yea I've kited banks lake a couple of times. Both times wind was out of the south.“
  • „First time I was there wind was weak but fairly steady, the second time the wind was insanely gusty like 5 g 25.“
  • „If the water level is high as I suspect it might be right now there is virtually no beach to rig on“
  • „As you turn into steamboat rock state park go about 100 yds and there is an old rd taking off to the right and left. I went left about another 100 yds“
  • „There is a little bay there with mostly sandy bottom and pretty shallow.“

Photos from the area

Approaching Steamboat Rock - Flickr - brewbooks
Approaching Steamboat Rock - Flickr - brewbooks · 1153 m from the spot
brewbooks from near Seattle, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Wind by month

When it blows

Average wind speed 10 m above ground from NASA POWER (MERRA-2, 2001–2025). The model works on a grid of roughly 50 km; on hills and by the water the wind is often stronger and gustier.

windiest monthsaverage wind in knots, NASA POWER; below the month in m/s

Values by month
January5.1 knots · 2.6 m/s
February5.5 knots · 2.8 m/s
March6.1 knots · 3.1 m/s
April5.9 knots · 3.0 m/s
May5.5 knots · 2.8 m/s
June5.4 knots · 2.8 m/s
July5.4 knots · 2.8 m/s
August5.1 knots · 2.6 m/s
September5.2 knots · 2.7 m/s
October5.3 knots · 2.7 m/s
November5.4 knots · 2.8 m/s
December5.2 knots · 2.7 m/s

Nearby

More spots within 60 km

Been there?

Add what you know

Parking changed, a new ban, a new obstacle in the water? Tell us, we will check it and update the page.

Sources: Community map “USA NW Kite Spots” (Google My Maps). Wind NASA POWER, airports OurAirports, photos Wikimedia Commons (author and licence with each photo). As of 17 October 2026. These are riders' reports; local rules change, so look around before you ride and follow local signs.

A week on the water

Kite safari in the Red Sea

8 days on a yacht from Hurghada to the islands of the northern Red Sea. Next departure 7-14 November 2026, the 2027 dates are coming soon.

See the safari

The safari is organised by Mohamed of Paradise Kitesurf Red Sea. I've known him for years and we work together.