Banks Lake
Lanier County, Georgia700 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae sit in the clean band for this region.
↑ up from C at the last regrade
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 42 ft max depth
- Public access
Banks Lake in Lanier County, Georgia has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 3.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.6 µg/L. Surface area: 700 acres.
- Clarity
- 3.2 ft
- Max depth
- ~42 ft est.
- Area
- 700 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 30 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 7.6 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Banks Lake’s letter
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Banks Lake is a 700-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Lanier County, Georgia with an estimated average depth of about 42 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Georgia EPD, last sampled 2025-10-27. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Banks Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
The B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Banks Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
Very murky, less than 3.2 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 7.6 µg/L. TSI 55. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3.2 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 30 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 7.6 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 55 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~42 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~4 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 700 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Georgia has not published bathymetry for Banks Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Recreation & Access
- Banks LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Banks Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 14 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.038 m/yr | 14 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +3.51 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.4 µg/L/yr | 14 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Banks Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Banks Lake Dam (completed 1930), built primarily for recreation on the Mill Creek; earth-type dam, 15 ft tall and 360 ft long.
- Surface area
- 700 ac
- Normal storage
- 3,450 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 5,018 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 6,000 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- GA DOT
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID GA03630 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Banks Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit GAR031102020911 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Lanier County
Nearby Lakes in Lanier County
Frequently asked questions about Banks Lake
Where is Banks Lake?
- Banks Lake is a lake in Lanier County, Georgia. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Banks Lake?
- Banks Lake in Lanier County, Georgia has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 3.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.6 µg/L. Surface area: 700 acres.
Is Banks Lake safe to swim in?
- The B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Banks Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Banks Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Banks Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 42 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 700 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Banks Lake?
- Banks Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Banks Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Banks Lake across LakeQuality
21.7 mi away · cable-pulled, no boat wake
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Georgia's top lakes, each with its grade
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
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Where this data comes from
239 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2012–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Georgia DNR Environmental Protection Division
21GAEPD_WQX239 samples · 2012–2025
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- Turbidity by Nephelometry
- 2120 B ~ Color in Water by Visual Comparison
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory