Out & About: Water soon to rise at Banks Lake

OUTEXPOSE – The jury’s still out on how much the lowest maintenance drawdown in Banks Lake’s history will impact the reservoir’s popular sport fisheries.

But opportunistic bass, walleye, whitefish and panfish anglers are making photos and detailed notes of exposed structure they’ll want to explore with hook and line when the water levels begin returning to normal levels this winter.

Agencies are taking advantage of the drawdown to make some recreational improvements to boat launches, docks and other facilities, including Coulee City Marina.

The Banks Lake level was 1,538 feet last week, covering only 19,600 surface acres – about a third less than at the 27,694 acres it covers at full pool with the level 31 feet higher.

Cool deal offered to fifth-graders

OUTSLIDE – Once again, fifth-grade students are being treated like royalty at Inland Northwest ski resorts, with free skiing and other discounts.

The Fifth Grade Ski or Ride Free Passport, costing $20, entitles students to three free lift tickets at each of the participating mountains, including 49 Degrees North, Mt. Spokane, Schweitzer, Silver Mountain, Lookout Pass and 16 other resorts in the Northwest Rockies.

Some resorts also offer free or discounted ski rentals and lessons.

Parents and siblings accompanying the fifth- graders sometimes can get discounts.

Get more details, download applications or apply online at skinwrockies.com/

Eagles take time getting to CdA

OUTFIELD – The first bald eagle survey of the season found 12 bald eagles in Lake Coeur d’Alene’s Wolf Lodge Bay, down from 42 on the same date last year, said Carrie Hugo, U.S. Bureau of Land management wildlife biologist.

Weather might be a factor, and we must remember that 2010 was a record year for bald eagles returning for the annual gathering to feast on spawning kokanee.

The eagle congregation usually peaks in December.

Programs feature free paddling, cycling

• Bicycling under the Midnight Sun on Norway’s Lofoten Islands, program by Chuck and Wendy Huber for the Spokane Mountaineers, Monday, 7 p.m. at Mountain Gear Corporate Headquarters, 6021 E. Mansfield Ave.

• Canoeing the South Nahanni River in the Northwest Territories, a video look back at an epic 360-mile club trip in one of North America’s more remote waterways, by Dick and Kathy Spencer for the Spokane Canoe and Kayak Club, 7 p.m., at Corbin Community Center, 827 W. Cleveland Ave.

S-R website compiles mountain web cams

OUTCLICK – All of the web cams focused on Northwest ski resorts and highways have been compiled into clickable links on The Spokesman- Review’s outdoors web page ( spokesman.com/outdoors).

The web cams for ski resorts and all of the highways in Idaho, Washington, Montana and British Columbia are just a click away.

In addition to outdoors news, features and photos, the web page also features a wide range of web links for stream flows, cycling and other recreation calendars, avalanche forecasts, fish counts and more.