National wildlife refuge

Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge in Lanier County, Georgia run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It is open 24 hours a day, year-round.

Check current closures and fire restrictions for Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge on the managing agency's own page.

Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Photo: Jasmine Olsen/USFWS, Public domain (US federal government work, 17 U.S.C. 105) . Data source:Recreation.gov

Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge map

Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge boundary from USGS PAD-US or the managing agency, simplified for display. Not for navigation or legal boundaries.

View larger map Open in Google Maps Directions

Fire restrictions

This unit's own agency alerts list no fire restriction as of Oct. 5, 2026. We do not check a statewide fire-order feed for GA, so that is not a statement that no order exists, and not a green light for a fire. Check with the land manager and your county before you light anything.

County and local burn bans may also apply on private, state, or county land nearby. On federal land, follow the land manager's order; off it, follow the strictest county or local rule that applies. When both touch your trip, obey both.

Common questions

Yes. Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge is open 24 hours a day, year-round.
Yes. Fishing is allowed on Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge with a Nevada fishing license.

Hours, fees, and visitor center

Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge is open 24 hours a day, year-round.

What visitors do here: hiking, hunting, fishing, wildlife viewing, photography, boating.

Source: fws.gov, checked 2026-09-30.

Wildlife

  • InvertebrateThreatened and endangered species

Source: fws.gov, checked 2026-09-30.

Fishing and boating

Fishing is allowed on Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge with a Nevada fishing license.

Source: fws.gov, checked 2026-09-30.

Getting there

  • Nearest town: Lakeland, 3.6 miles

Source: www2.census.gov, checked 2026-09-30.

The sentences on this page are generated by software from the sourced records above, not written by hand. How this content is made.