SML as it is referred to by the locals, was created by a hydroelectric dam that was built on the Roanoke and Blackwater rivers and completed in 1963. The lake has 500 miles of shorelines and many tributaries. Smith Mountain Lake covers 20,600-acres or 32 square miles, is about 40 miles long, one of the state’s largest man-made lakes and is located in rural southwestern Virginia. SML’s deepest point is about 250 feet, near the dam, average depth is fifty-five feet. Typical depth is 80′-150′ except in the many shallow coves around the lake. Water clarity at Smith Mountain Lake is always excellent.
SML is home to the Bassmasters Elite Series “Blue Ridge Brawl” professional fishing tournament and is nationally recognized for its striper, largemouth and smallmouth bass fishing. ESPN BASSmasters Elite - held it’s first tournament at Smith Mountain Lake in 2007. The 2010 event is sponsored by Evan Williams Bourbon and is a major televised tournament attracting professional anglers from throughout the world and is being held April 15-18. After saying all of that, SML is a haven for fishermen of all skill levels and has all the facilities and amenities to make any visit to the area very enjoyable and a bass fishing adventure to remember.
The larger towns of Roanoke and Lynchburg Virginia are about a 45-minute drive time from Smith Mountain Lake. Both towns provide convenient “big-city” amenities like shopping malls and commercial airports.
The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has an annual program to restock SML with muskie and striper. So the fishing and lake impoundment in its entirety are well cared for and protected. The area is designated a Virginia State Park and the cost for a weekend getaway or a week long visit can be very affordable. For more information check out the Smith Mountain Lake Chamber of Commerce website at http://www.visitsmithmountainlake.com/
