Reservoir · Virginia

Smith Mountain Lake

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Smith Mountain Lake

Reservoir · Virginia

Information Only

StrikeTracks does not currently provide a live condition rating for this destination. Destination and fishery information is still available.

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Fishery Profile

Documented species you may encounter at Smith Mountain Lake.

High confidenceLast verified: Aug 24, 2026

Species images are AI-generated illustrations for visual reference and may simplify natural variation. Fishery records are based on the cited agency sources. About fish illustrations

Fishery overview

Smith Mountain Lake is AEP’s Roanoke River pumped-storage reservoir in Bedford, Franklin, and Pittsylvania counties, a striped-bass, muskellunge, and black-bass destination with catfish and white perch. It is not Leesville, not Kerr, not Gaston, and not Claytor.

Target species

  • Largemouth Bass

    Micropterus nigricans

    Expectation
    Primary
    Population
    Established
    Native status
    native
    Confidence
    High confidence

    DWR electrofishing: dominant black-bass fishery; top citation producer.

    Source: Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources

  • Channel Catfish

    Ictalurus punctatus

    Expectation
    Common
    Population
    Established
    Native status
    native
    Confidence
    High confidence

    DWR: channel catfish are the most popular catfish species at Smith Mountain.

    Source: Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources

  • Smallmouth Bass

    Micropterus dolomieu

    Expectation
    Common
    Population
    Established
    Native status
    native
    Confidence
    High confidence

    DWR: smallmouth present, more prevalent in the lower reservoir.

    Source: Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources

  • Striped bass

    Morone saxatilis

    Expectation
    Common
    Population
    Stocked
    Native status
    introduced
    Confidence
    High confidence
    Stocked · SpringSpring

    DWR: stocked since 1963; no successful natural reproduction; second most popular sport fish.

    Source: Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources

  • White Perch

    Morone americana

    Expectation
    Present
    Population
    Established
    Native status
    native
    Confidence
    High confidence

    DWR additional species: white perch present lake-wide.

    Source: Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources

  • Muskellunge

    Esox masquinongy

    Expectation
    Occasional
    Population
    Stocked
    Native status
    introduced
    Confidence
    High confidence

    DWR: stocked annually with musky fingerlings; few fish caught each year.

    Source: Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources

Fishery characteristics

Composition
Mixed wild and stocked

Large pumped-storage pool at Smith Mountain Dam with long Roanoke and Blackwater arms, deep open water for striped bass and trolling, and cove structure for largemouth, smallmouth, and muskellunge. Generation and pumping exchange water with Leesville but do not merge the two fisheries.

Best seasons

  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Fall

Common techniques

  • Boat fishing
  • Shore fishing
  • Spinning
  • Trolling

Access and Public Fishing Rights

State-park, county, and commercial ramps surround Smith Mountain Lake. Confirm current launch status and any hydro-operations closures near the dam. Catalog coordinates are a whole-lake reference, not a Leesville ramp.

Stocking information

Existing notes treat Smith Mountain striped bass, muskellunge, black bass, catfish, and white perch as established pumped-storage lake populations. Confirm any current DWR plants on official Virginia pages for Smith Mountain Lake by name.

  • Striped bass

    Stocked · Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources

    Stocked · Spring

  • Muskellunge

    Stocked · Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources

    Stocked

Official sources

Virginia DWR freshwater regulations apply, including any striped-bass or muskie notes posted for Smith Mountain Lake. Verify current DWR seasons and local launch rules. Do not apply Leesville, Kerr, Gaston, or Claytor pages as this lake’s law.

Location and Access

Cataloged lake location

Virginia

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The map marker represents the cataloged waterbody or monitoring location and may not indicate legal parking or public access. Confirm access through the official information before visiting.

Lake Details

Management Category

Reservoir / catalog-visible Unavailable

Regulation Scope

Smith Mountain Lake

Regulation Summary

Virginia freshwater fishing regulations apply; confirm current seasons, access, and limits.

Target Species

Striped Bass, Largemouth Bass

Public Access

Public

Description

AEP Roanoke River pumped-storage reservoir (Bedford/Franklin/Pittsylvania). Distinct from Leesville, Kerr, Gaston, and Claytor. Catalog-visible Unavailable under accepted MIDATL-1A / POLICY-1: kind=reservoir, no qualifying same-lake USGS water-temperature station, ordinary L-C/L-D Estimated prohibited. Pumped-storage reservoir operations are not an ordinary inland lake; ordinary L-C/L-D is prohibited. USGS 02059500 Goose Creek near Huddleston is a tributary inflow, not same-lake thermal. Elevation, outlet/tailwater, tributary, and nearby-lake readings are not lake-body thermal. Unavailable means insufficient information, not Poor. Confirm current regulations and access. Coordinates are a public lake reference point, not a verified launch pin.