Virginia · Bedford / Franklin / Pittsylvania County
Smith Mountain Lake
Moneta · Hardy · Huddleston · Penhook
Loading live conditions for Smith Mountain Lake…
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Plan your visit to Smith Mountain Lake
Things to doTours & activities on Smith Mountain Lake
Boat cruises, fishing trips, kayak rentals, and guided adventures from local operators.
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Places to stayLake houses & rentals
Vacation rentals right on the water.
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"Virginia's "Jewel of the Blue Ridge" — a Roanoke River reservoir in the foothills southeast of Roanoke. Deep, clean, and surrounded by Bedford County hills. Quiet by Lake-of-the-Ozarks standards; more of a Virginia-money retirement and second-home community."
Seasonal pattern
When does Smith Mountain Lake warm up?
Smith Mountain Lake is deep (max depth 250ft) and carries significant thermal inertia, so it warms slowly — surface temperatures typically don't reach comfortable swimming range until late June or early July. Spring-fed or alpine lakes stay cooler all summer. The live forecast above shows current conditions.
Field notes
About Smith Mountain Lake
- Deepest lake in Virginia (250ft)
- Built by Appalachian Power Company (now AEP) in 1966
- Smith Mountain Lake State Park on the south shore
- Striped bass and largemouth bass fishery
- Surface area
- 20,260 acres
- Max depth
- 250 ft
- County
- Bedford / Franklin / Pittsylvania
- Water data
- Modeled estimate from air-temp trends