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20,600-acre lake near Moneta. Virginia's premier big-water fishery. A deep, clear 20,600-acre Roanoke River reservoir with a nationally known striped-bass and citation-largemouth following. The lake tops out around 250 ft. These contours are modeled — built from the real shoreline and the water's maximum depth — so read them as a guide, never as navigation. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Drawn out, this is 19,615 acres of water rimmed by 420.9 miles of bank, broken up by 18 islands. The 21.4 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. Roughly 56% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 20.7 mi, about 11.8 mi across. The water lies in Franklin County. The nearest mapped water is Leesville Lake, 13 mi to the southeast.
Come spring, look for striped bass tight to the bank in 5 to 20 ft. Expect a summer slide to 25 to 60 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 50 ft. Start at Bettys Creek inflow. It's an inflow / creek mouth holding about 8 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A topwater walker at low light or a paddletail on a light jig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Bettys Creek inflow (8 ft) | 3-5 inch baitfish swimbait, Suspending minnow plug |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (57 ft) | Topwater walker at low light, Paddletail on a light jig |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (13 ft) | Baitfish swimbait, Metal jig |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Sharp break (57 ft) | Slow paddletail, Bucktail near bottom |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 6 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (13 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (4 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Offshore hump (14 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 45 ft. The spot to know is Offshore hump, an offshore hump in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in summer. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (4 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (13 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Offshore hump (13 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Offshore hump (14 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (13 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Offshore hump (14 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: channel catfish in 3 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 25 ft, wintering in 20 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Bettys Creek inflow, an inflow / creek mouth in the 8 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Bettys Creek inflow (8 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Bettys Creek inflow (8 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Old creek channel (125 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (213 ft) |
Spring puts flathead catfish in skinny water — 5 to 20 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 30 ft, wintering in 20 to 45 ft. Spring flathead catfish concentrate at Bettys Creek inflow, a good-rated inflow / creek mouth around 8 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | night & dusk | Bettys Creek inflow (8 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | night & dusk | Sharp break (4 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | night & dusk | Deep basin (213 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Deep basin (213 ft) |
Smith Mountain Lake also holds walleye (15 to 35 ft in summer), muskellunge (8 to 25 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
24 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 213 ft, is the deepest of them.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Virginia waters are set by the Virginia DWR — and special regulations can apply to Smith Mountain Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Virginia fishing regulations →
Smith Mountain Lake is about 250 ft (76 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target striped bass, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, channel catfish, flathead catfish, walleye, muskellunge, bluegill on Smith Mountain Lake.
Bettys Creek inflow is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for striped bass in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For striped bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Smith Mountain Lake is regulated by the Virginia DWR. Check the official Virginia regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Leesville Lake 13 mi · Carvins Cove Reservoir 24 mi · Philpott Lake 30 mi · Lake A. Willis Robertson 48 mi · Moncove Lake 50 mi, WV · Claytor Lake 55 mi · Lake Moomaw 61 mi · Lake Sherwood 64 mi, WV · Horsepen Lake 68 mi · Briery Creek Lake 68 mi · Greenbrier River 70 mi, WV · Kerr Lake (Buggs Island) 76 mi, NC/VA
See how Smith Mountain Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Virginia · best smallmouth bass lakes in Virginia · best walleye lakes in Virginia · best crappie lakes in Virginia
Browse all Virginia fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.