Location
Lake Banook's eastern shore is bordered by Prince Albert Road (part of Trunk 7) and its western shore fronts Crichton Park, a residential neighbourhood. At the south end of the lake is a lock mechanism leading to Sullivan's Pond. At the north end of the lake a bridge carries the Highway 111 expressway, informally known as the Dartmouth Circumferential Highway over its waters. The bridge also serves as a dividing line between Lake Micmac, also referred to as Second Lake.
Birch Cove Beach is the only beach on the lake that is currently supervised. Another beach, Graham's Grove, was closed in the early-1990s, as a result of poor water quality stemming from the construction of the nearby "Mic Mac Par-clo" (partial clover-leaf), a large interchange connecting Highway 111, Trunk 7, and Route 318, which replaced the rotary previously on the site.
Lake Banook has undergone many modifications. It was originally approximately two meters shallower than its current depth, after being dammed during the construction of the Shubenacadie Canal in the early 19th century. When the water rose, it submerged a small island. During improvements for the 1989 Junior World Championships, the top section of the paddling course was dredged to meet depth standards. The fill was used to expand nearby Graham's Grove Park, and the former access road still remains underwater. There have been shoreline modifications for recreational beaches, private waterfront, boat docks, and municipal pipelines. No natural shoreline remains on the lake.
Lake Banook has also become known internationally for a naturally occurring phenomenon which allows its water temperature to remain at relatively warm temperatures year-round. This is due to the large amount of sediment dumped into the lake during construction for the 1989 Junior World Championships. The high amount of phosphorus in the lake has led the water to remain at such a high temperature. Records dating back to 1989 indicate that the water temperature of Lake Banook has never fallen below 8.3 degrees, which was an all-time low in January, 1997. This makes Lake Banook a very desirable destination for paddlers, for the simple fact that they may train year-round without the requirement of a safety boat or lifejackets.
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