High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Smith Mountain Lake is a large reservoir in the Roanoke Region of Virginia, located southeast of the City of Roanoke and southwest of Lynchburg. The lake was created in 1963 by the Smith Mountain Dam impounding the Roanoke River. The majority of the south shore of the lake lies in Franklin County while a portion, including access to the dam, lies in Pittsylvania County. The lake has become a popular recreation spot and has also experienced significant development in the last decade. It is the largest man-made lake in the entire state of Virginia.