The man-made Smith Mountain Lake in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Southwest Virginia is a vacation and recreation center as well as home to more than 18,000 residents. Approximately equidistant from the cities of Roanoke and Lynchburg, Virginia, the lake was created by Appalachian Power Company in the 1960s to generate electricity for the region, and to maintain flood control, with the construction of the Smith Mountain Dam.
Commercial development of the area did not begin in full for a number of years after the dam’s completion. Now the 20,000-acre lake, whose surface covers some 32 square miles with about 500 miles of shoreline, has a combination of gated communities with private beaches, golf and luxury resorts, family establishments, high-rise developments, condominiums, townhouses, and vacation rental houses. Some parts of the shoreline remain undeveloped.
Five golf courses, some lakeside, cater to residents and visitors. Two of the courses are private while three of them, officially described as “semi-private,” allow public use. Those who plan to stay for a brief period can find nearby hotels, motels, or bed and breakfast inns. In addition, the lake has houseboats for daily or weekly rental. Currently, five free public-access areas with boat ramps are available.
Some older owners of lakefront property on steep hills and those with limited mobility, who find it difficult or impossible to climb steps to get down to the shoreline, have installed private incline elevators, similar to trams, which operate on tracks. Dan Rafter in “All Aboard the Backyard Local,” in the June 6, 2009 Washington Post, wrote: “They cost about $50,000, an amount that manufacturers and dealers say owners recoup when they sell their homes. Real estate agents aren’t quite as sure about the added value, but they say they the trams don’t hurt. And sellers are counting on retiring baby boomers to boost their business in coming years.”
Smith Mountain Lake Featured on ESPN’s Bassmasters Elite Tournament
From spring through autumn, Smith Mountain Lake is populated with boaters, jet skiers (usually quite loud and fast), water skiers, wake boarders, tubers, canoeists, those on sail boats, and kayakers. As viewers of ESPN’s Bassmasters Elite Series Tournament and other related events know, the lake attracts many pro fishermen. (The tournament is scheduled to return there in August 2010.)
The lake contains largemouth and smallmouth bass, striped bass, spotted bass, walleye, redeye (rock bass), black crappie, catfish, blue gill, white perch, yellow perch, carp, catfish, and sunfish. It is primarily known for stripers and largemouth bass. Although some blame the daytime noise from all the jet skiers for this phenomenon, some species of fish, such as bass, can better be caught at night during the summer months.
Some of the nocturnal anglers use surface plugs to catch fish overnight without having to stay awake themselves then. Reports from this summer said shad at the lake have come up on the banks well after midnight. Everyone must have a valid Virginia fishing license, which can be purchased online or at many of the area’s outdoor supply stores and marinas. Others prefer to go with local fishing guides who supply the boat, bait, and tackle, and knowledge about the lake’s strongest fishing locales.
A frequent activity for youngsters, and a few adults, is feeding popcorn to the huge resident carp that congregate at the docks and marina boat slips around the lake, particularly at Bridgewater Plaza, the hub of Smith Mountain Lake. Customers can buy cups filled with popcorn for the exceedingly and perpetually hungry fish actively splashing around the water’s surface in response to the prospect of being fed. A few visitors to the lake admit finding this practice unamusing and exploitative of the fish.
Two Parks and Virginia Dare Cruise Boat Operate at Smith Mountain Lake
The 1,248-acre Smith Mountain Lake State Park is open year-round and has picnic areas, campsites, cabins, hiking trails, fishing, and a 500-foot long sandy beach. The 37-acre Community Park, with no admission charge, has hiking trails and a swimming area and sand beach with lifeguards. Both charge a fee for use of some facilities including swimming. The state park charges a $3 fee to launch a boat, $3 to park during the week, and $4 for weekend parking.
Between April and December, for those who want to view the lake and dam from the water, the Virginia Dare, a 19th century, 63-foot side paddlewheel boat replica, offers cruises with lunch or dinner. The boat is also used for private functions including wedding parties. Up to 135 can be accommodated. More information is available at 540-297-7100.
Smith Mountain Lake’s Hydroelectric Production License Up for Renewal in 2010
Community organizations are now focusing their attention on the pending relicensing next year of the Smith Mountain Lake hydroelectric production project and the local environmental and economic impact. Appalachian Power’s 50-year use of the dam’s lake for electricity is coming up for renewal. “The firm’s current license, which was issued by the Federal Power Commission on April 25, 1960, expires March 31, 2010,” Justin Faulconer, wrote in “Group sending message to Smith Mountain lake neighbors” in the July 18, 2009 Lynchburg News and Advance.
In an effort to make Smith Mountain Lake somewhat more affordable in the present economy, Mariner's Landing, one of the resort communities there, plans to construct a two-phase waterfront condominium project with 32 units offering deeded vacation timeshares. The first building is slated for completion by spring 2010. The second phase is contingent upon how successful the first one is.
Smith Mountain Lake is 445 miles from Atlanta, 190 miles from Charlotte, 254 miles from Norfolk, 345 miles from Philadelphia, 175 from Raleigh, 163 from Richmond, and 215 from Washington, D.C.
John Seidenberg - John Seidenberg has worked on newspapers, newsletters, radio news, and produced specialized news publications as well as freelance ...
