Smith Mountain Lake is without a doubt one of the most
beautiful residential-recreational lakes on the East Coast. It has
become home to a growing community of native Virginians as well
as many newcomers. Due to the area’s wide array of recreational
activities, mild climate, central location and breathtaking scenery;
Smith Mountain Lake has become a highly desired destination for
both full-time residents and vacationers alike.
 Location
Smith Mountain Lake is nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of
beautiful Southwest Virginia. The lake has a total of over 500 miles
shoreline bordering Bedford, Franklin, and Pittsylvania Counties;
covering 20,600 surface acres. It’s central location makes it just a
short drive from many metropolitan areas along the east coast.
Recreational Activities
The lake provides us with many recreational opportunities that
include swimming, fishing, water skiing, wake boarding, golfing,
power boating, sailing, canoeing and jet skiing; just to name a few.
Smith Mountain Lake is regularly stocked with many game fish,
earning it a reputation as one of the best all around fishing spots in
the eastern United States. The lake is known for its large number
of citation size fish; making it one of the hottest trophy fishing
lakes in the country and the site of many fishing tournaments.
Climate
Moderate temperatures, mild weather, and four distinct seasons
make Smith Mountain Lake appealing to visit any time of the year.
The average temperature is in the low to mid 80’s in the summer
and the upper 30’s in the winter. Annual precipitation averages 41
inches of rain and 15 inches of snowfall.
History
Smith Mountain Lake was created by the construction of a
hydroelectric dam
between the Smith Mountain Gap that was
completed on September 24, 1963. The 20,600 acre lake reached
“full pond” two and one-half years later on March 7, 1966 at 795
feet above sea level.
The project makes maximum use of one of our planet’s most
precious natural resources, water, through a process called pumped storage. Water stored in Smith Mountain Lake first drops through
the turbine generators in the Smith Mountain Dam power house to
produce electricity. Instead of allowing all of the “used” water to
run downstream, much is caught and held by Leesville Dam, the
lower dam in the project, to be pumped back into Smith Mountain
Lake later for re-use. A portion of the water goes through turbine
generators at Leesville Lake; generating additional electricity.
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Taxes (2008)
Real Estate (100% Assessment)
Bedford County:
$0.50 per $100
Franklin County:
$0.46 per $100
Pittsylvania County:
$0.50 per $100
State Sales Tax: 4.5%
Population (Census 2000)
Smith Mountain Lake - 18,800 (estimate)
Bedford County - 60,372
Franklin County - 47,286
Pittsylvania County - 61,745
Travel Distances
City Miles
Atlanta, GA...............................................445
Baltimore, MD...........................................272
Charleston, WV........................................225
Charlotte, NC...........................................190
Chicago, IL...............................................700
Greensboro, NC.........................................99
New York, NY............................................505
Norfolk, VA................................................225
Pittsburgh, PA...........................................365
Raleigh, NC...............................................175
Richmond, VA...........................................150
Washington, DC........................................220
Real Estate
Smith Mountain Lake offers a variety of property types and
a wide range of real estate prices. With over 500 miles of lake
shoreline you can find property on a point lot with wide water
& mountain views, in a quiet cove with a few neighbors in sight,
or in a well planned golf course community with many shared
amenities that include lake access, boat slips, swimming pools,
tennis courts and private golf courses.
Real estate prices at the lake can vary significantly due to a
number of value factors including view, location, degree of
slope to the lake and amenities. When buying or selling real
estate here at Smith Mountain Lake you need an experienced
agent on your side.
Mike, Sylvia, Matthew & Amanda Pagans are a team
of real estate professionals. As life-long area residents, Realtors
and Certified Real Estate Appraisers; they can show you the
best investments at and around the lake.
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LakeGeeks