Smith Mountain Lake

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Smith Mountain Lake
Smith Mountain Lake Show map of Virginia Smith Mountain Lake Show map of the United States
Location	Bedford, Franklin, and Pittsylvania counties, Virginia
Coordinates	37°03′26″N 79°35′47″W / 37.05722°N 79.59639°W / 37.05722; -79.59639
Type	Reservoir
Primary inflows	Roanoke River Blackwater River
Primary outflows	Leesville Lake, Roanoke River
Basin countries	United States
Surface area	32 sq mi (83 km2)[1]
Average depth	55 ft (17 m)[1]
Max. depth	220 ft (67 m)[1]
Water volume	2.8 km3 (2,300,000 acre⋅ft)[1]
Shore length1	500 mi (800 km)
Surface elevation	795 ft (242 m)[2]
References	[1][2]
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Smith Mountain Lake is a large reservoir in the Roanoke Region of Virginia,^[3] United States, located southeast of the City of Roanoke and southwest of Lynchburg. The lake was created in 1963 by the Smith Mountain Dam impounding the Roanoke River. The majority of the south shore of the lake lies in Franklin County while a small portion, including access to the dam, lies in Pittsylvania County. Bedford County makes up the northern half of the lake with the Roanoke River as the dividing line. The lake has become a popular recreation spot and has also experienced significant development in the last decade. It is the largest lake contained entirely within the Commonwealth of Virginia.