Overview
Philpott Lake is a roughly 2,880-acre reservoir on the Smith River in Franklin, Henry, and Patrick counties in southwestern Virginia. It was created when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Wilmington District completed Philpott Dam in the early 1950s for flood control, hydropower, and recreation.
At a normal pool of 974 feet (NGVD29), the lake has about 100 miles of almost entirely undeveloped shoreline bordered by thousands of acres of Corps-managed forest. Mountain coves, clear water, and the absence of private docks give Philpott a distinctly wild Blue Ridge foothill setting.
The lake is prized for boating, paddling, camping, and fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass, striped bass, crappie, and other species, with fisheries managed by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. Corps recreation areas, campgrounds, and boat ramps provide public access around the reservoir.
Water levels on Philpott Lake are managed by the Corps around a normal full pool of 974 feet above mean sea level (NGVD29), with flood storage governed above that elevation and a spillway crest near 985 feet. Monitoring current lake levels is helpful for boating, fishing, and shoreline access as rainfall and flood operations move the Smith River pool.
Current Conditions
Philpott Lake is currently 2.46 feet below full pool and has fallen slightly over the past week.
- 7-day trendFallingLatest movement can differ from the seven-day trend.
- 7-day changeUp 0.04 ft
- 30-day changeDown 0.10 ft
- Drought conditionsAbnormally Dry
About This Lake
Learn how this lake is managed, what affects its water level, and where Lake Insights gets its data.
Philpott Lake is a 2,880-acre reservoir on the Smith River managed by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.