789.29 ft msl
level 5.7 ft below full pool — this gauge's public record is too short for seasonal comparisons
Reading comes straight from NOAA National Water Prediction Service (NOAA gauge SMIV2) and updates live when you load this page.
Is Smith Mountain Lake full?
Not quite — 5.7 ft below full pool as of September 23, 2026
How full is Smith Mountain Lake? Not as a percentage: no storage figure comes through with this gauge reading, and a share of capacity worked out from the elevation alone would be a guess — how much water a reservoir holds at a given level is a curve only the operator's own capacity table knows. Feet from full pool is what the operator publishes, and it is the figure above.
Full pool, datum, and the gauge
"Full pool" here means the conservation pool — the level the lake is designed to hold for water supply and recreation, not the flood-control space above it. The full explainer covers flood pool and dead pool too.
| Full pool | 795.00 ft msl · per Appalachian Power (AEP) full-pool reference |
|---|---|
| Gauge | NOAA gauge SMIV2 · NOAA National Water Prediction Service |
| Datum | ft msl — AEP project site smithmtn.com states 'Full pond: 795.0 ft.' NWS action stage 796. Pumped-storage project paired with Leesville Lake (full pond 613.0). |
| Last verified | August 15, 2026 |
LakeDates reports lake level, not ramp status. Whether a given ramp or marina is usable at this level varies ramp by ramp — call the marina before you tow.
Quick answers
What is the lake level for Smith Mountain Lake today?
Smith Mountain Lake is at 789.29 ft (msl) as of September 23, 2026 — 5.7 ft below full pool — this gauge's public record is too short for seasonal comparisons.
Is Smith Mountain Lake full?
Not quite — at 789.29 ft on September 23, 2026, Smith Mountain Lake is 5.7 ft below its full pool of 795.00 ft (msl).
How full is Smith Mountain Lake?
Not as a percentage: no storage figure comes through with this gauge reading, and a share of capacity worked out from the elevation alone would be a guess — how much water a reservoir holds at a given level is a curve only the operator's own capacity table knows. Feet from full pool is what the operator publishes, and it is the figure above.
What is full pool for Smith Mountain Lake?
Full pool (the conservation pool) for Smith Mountain Lake is 795.00 ft msl, per Appalachian Power (AEP) full-pool reference. Levels above it use flood storage; levels below it are drawdown.