Smith Mountain Lake History

Living on Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia is Awesome! Nestled deep in the roanoke valley, just below the Blue Ridge Mountains is Virginia's Best Kept Secret! In fact! It's so secretive that you can be here, and if you're not driving down the hidden roads, you can't even see the lake! People call me all the time and say "We're here....where is it?". But once you find your place on Smith Mountain Lake, you become part of that little secret society... those who know the good life...so let me give you a little history: Smith Mountain Lake is Virginia's second largest lake, now, home to premier lakefront properties. The lake was created by the damming of the Roanoke River at Smith Mountain Gap. The Blackwater and Roanoke Rivers comprise Smith Mountain Lake. "Full pond" was reached on March 7, 1966 and the lake became the recreational capital of Southwest Virginia. Lake activities abound with waterfront dining, miniature golf, boating, wake boarding and fishing. How big is Smith Mountain Lake wakeboarding? Big enough to make movies and hold competitions. Seriously...check this out: Fishing is so huge these days that Smith Mountain Lake holds the state record for citation striped bass and has been the home of the Bass Masters Tournament on ESPN. Check out the previous link to see the article that ESPN did on SML in 2007. Here's a picture of my buddy Mike with his favorite catch from Smith Mountain Lake. Smith Mountain Lake Fishing During the fall of 1992 the movie "What about Bob?," starring Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss, was filmed on location on Smith Mountain Lake and in the nearby town of Moneta. The signs and buildings in Moneta were repainted to portray the town of "Lake Winnipesaukee, NH". In case you've forgotten, here's a great clip of the movie shot on Smith Mountain Lake featuring Bill and Richard: Yep, that's a great shot of Smith Mountain Dam from 1992! Since that time many celebrities have graced the shores of Smith Mountain Lake. Smith Mountain Lake is a 20,000 acre lake, spanning 40 miles, and has over 500 miles of shoreline. Located just 45 minutes from Downtown Roanoke and Lynchburg, the lake features a state park with beaches and camping, as well as two cruise ships; The Southern Belle and the Virginia Dare. Smith Mountain Lake boasts its own Movie Theatre at Westlake, shops, restaurants, luxury homes, Lakehouse and Lake Lot Communities, townhomes, and condominiums, making the lake a premiere resort and retirement destination. Here's a quick breakdown of Smith Mountain Lake Real Estate: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Smith Mountain Lake Residential Waterfront Property Example: Lakefront Lot Only ($300K-$1.5M) <or> ($400K-$600K)Waterfront Cottage <or> Lakefront Homes($700K-$999K) <or> Lakefront Estates up to $6M Need Residential AND Commercial Real Estate? No Problem! Smith Mountain Lake Commercial Waterfront Property($700K-$7M) (waterfront restaurants, marinas for sale, commercial waterfront building lots, condominium or condotel sites, lake area commercial business park sites-- specify waterfront or off-water. Off-water commercial lots from $200K's) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As you can see, there is still something left for everyone in terms of Smith Mountain Lake Realty.... So when you're ready to grab your slice of the American Dream, visit us on the web at: Smith Mountain Lakefront Homes.com For FREE Information About Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia Waterfront Homes Click Here Now!