When submitting eBird observations at Smith Mountain Lake, it is most helpful to start a new checklist for each hotspot in the area. Use the general hotspot when you have a checklist that includes multiple locations or if no other hotspot or personal location is appropriate for your sightings.

Smith Mountain Lake is a reservoir dammed in 1963 to provide hydroelectric power. The water area is over 20,000 acres. The lake shores lie in the counties of Franklin, Bedford, and Pittsylvania.

An uncommon feature of this hydroelectric project is that the water level rises and falls by about one to two feet every day. Water is pumped back up into the upper section. The amount of water and timing is determined by daily power demands.