Smith Mountain Lake
Franklin County, VirginiaView mapDirections
Virginia DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Smith Mountain Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · PCBs
- Limited data
Smith Mountain Lake in Franklin County, Virginia has water-quality measurements published by Virginia DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7 ft visibility.
Smith Mountain Lake is a lake in Franklin County, Virginia. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Virginia DEQ, last sampled 2017-07-15. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Smith Mountain Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Smith Mountain Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Smith Mountain Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Smith Mountain Lake
These are the measurements Virginia DEQ publishes for Smith Mountain Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7 ft. TSI 49.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 49 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Smith Mountain Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Recreation & Access
- Smith Mountain LakeSemi-private
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Smith Mountain Lake
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Fishing Smith Mountain Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 15 years of monitoring (2012–2026).
Water clarity
Improving15 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.32 µg/L/yr15 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable-0.04 µg/L/yr15 years
EPA Impairment Status
Smith Mountain Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit VAW-L07L_ROA01A10 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Franklin County
Frequently asked questions about Smith Mountain Lake
Where is Smith Mountain Lake?
- Smith Mountain Lake is a lake in Franklin County, Virginia. Its water-quality measurements are published by Virginia DEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Smith Mountain Lake?
- Smith Mountain Lake in Franklin County, Virginia has water-quality measurements published by Virginia DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7 ft visibility.
Is Smith Mountain Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Smith Mountain Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Smith Mountain Lake?
- Smith Mountain Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Smith Mountain Lake.
Can I fish at Smith Mountain Lake?
- Smith Mountain Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Virginia's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Smith Mountain Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Virginia's top lakes, each with its readings
Virginia's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Where this data comes from
2 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2015–2017. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS2 samples · 2015–2017
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory