Understanding Smith Lake Water Levels

Smith Lake is not a lake with one fixed shoreline. Alabama Power operates it as a storage reservoir under a federal license, and the water level follows a seasonal schedule that rises in spring, holds through summer and is lowered in the second half of the year. This guide explains the schedule, who sets it, what can change it, how to read the official gauges and what the cycle means for boating, docks, swimming, fishing and daily life at the lake.

This guide never states today's level. The level changes by the hour, and any number printed here would be out of date. Figures below are attributed to their sources, all read on October 24, 2026, and the section on gauges tells you where to find the live reading.

The short version

• Full (summer) pool is 510 feet above mean sea level. Alabama Power's Smith Lake page lists 510 feet as the lake's elevation, and the shoreline permit guidelines list the same figure as full pool.
• Winter pool is 496 feet above mean sea level, according to FERC's description of the lake's operating cycle. Alabama Power gave the same figure in notices in 2000 (a table listing a winter normal of 496 feet) and 2021 (which said "near 496 feet").
• Alabama Power lists Smith Lake as the lake where controlled lowering begins on July 1 and ends on November 30. It lists most of its other storage lakes as starting on October 1.
• That is roughly 14 feet of difference between the top and bottom of the normal cycle (510 minus 496).
• The schedule is a normal-conditions plan. Drought, flood operations and maintenance can all change what the lake actually does.

What kind of lake it is

Smith Lake is a storage reservoir on the Sipsey Fork of the Black Warrior River, behind Lewis Smith Dam. Alabama Power's Smith Lake page gives these dam facts: in service September 5, 1961, rock-fill construction, 300 feet high, 2,200 feet long, with two generators rated at 78,750 kilowatts each. Alabama Power's page lists a maximum depth of 264 feet at the dam, a length of 35 miles and a drainage area of 944 square miles.

"Storage" matters. Alabama Power says storage lakes have different summer and winter pool levels, are drawn down in late fall into winter to hold winter and spring rain, and are returned to summer pool in spring. By contrast, it lists run-of-river lakes such as Bankhead, Holt and Jordan as having no controlled lowering period. Smith is not one of those.

How big is it? The sources differ

Published figures for acreage and shoreline do not agree, and we cannot tell you which is "right":

• Alabama Power's Smith Lake page: 27,316 acres and 713 miles of shoreline.
• Alabama Power's hydroelectric power page: 21,200 acres and 642 miles of shoreline.
• FERC's March 12, 2007 Federal Register notice on the dam's relicensing: a "35-mile-long, 21,200-acre reservoir at normal pool elevation 510 feet msl", with a spillway crest at 522 feet.
• The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources fishing page: 21,200 acres and more than 500 miles of shoreline.

Neither Alabama Power page explains the gap, so we do not guess at it. If a listing or brochure quotes one figure, it is probably quoting one of these. Treat any shoreline mileage as approximate.

The yearly cycle

The most precise public description we found is in federal court filings about the lake's license. In a brief to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, FERC summarized its own environmental assessment of the Smith development this way:

• April 1 to June 30: the lake is operated near the normal full pool level of 510 feet.
• Drawdown begins July 1 and reaches the winter pool level of 496 feet by December 1.
• The winter pool level is maintained until January 31.
• The lake is returned to full pool (510 feet) by April 1.
• Alabama Power normally keeps the pool at or below 510 feet when flooding is not occurring.

Alabama Power describes the same cycle in plainer terms on its Smith Lake page. It calls the schedule an "operating guide" (the guide curve). The guide begins in January at winter pool, rises through late winter into early spring to reach summer pool, stays level through the summer to support recreation, and declines in fall and early winter to make room for winter and spring flood flows. Alabama Power adds that the guide is the maximum elevation it may maintain "under normal conditions", so the lake can sit below the guide.

Small differences in wording between sources are worth knowing about. Alabama Power's 2024 lake-levels article says the Smith lowering ends November 30, FERC's summary says the winter level is reached by December 1, and a 2021 Alabama Power notice said around mid-November. The 2021 notice was issued for scheduled maintenance at the dam and described a gradual lowering, so we use it only as a dated example, not as the standard schedule. For storage lakes in general, Alabama Power says it aims to reach summer levels by May, while FERC's summary for Smith says full pool by April 1. Check the guide curve itself rather than relying on a single date.

Who decides

• FERC. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission licenses the dam as part of the Warrior River Project, FERC Project No. 2165. According to the D.C. Circuit's 2014 opinion, FERC issued a new license to Alabama Power on March 31, 2010, and in doing so declined a property owners' association request to change the lake's water-level benchmarks. The court dismissed that group's appeal as untimely, so it did not rule on the merits of the levels.
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Alabama Power says FERC and the Corps help set the operating guide, and that the Corps sets flood-control rules which Alabama Power carries out. Alabama Power says lowering is coordinated with the Corps.
• Alabama Power. The company operates the dam day to day, publishes the lake level and generation information and carries out the schedule.
• You do not. The shoreline permit guidelines state that Alabama Power reserves the right to raise or lower the lake as it deems appropriate and that permit holders accept water-level fluctuation. Level changes are a condition of living on the lake, not something a neighbor or an association can adjust.

Any change to the standing benchmarks would go through the FERC license process, which is long and formal: the court opinion says the licensing proceedings for the 2010 license lasted nearly five years.

What drought and flood operations change

Drought. Alabama Power's 2024 lake-levels article says low rainfall may require lowering levels further or changing the normal schedule, and its Smith Lake page says stored water can be used during drought. FERC's summary says the project can be drawn down 22 feet, from 510 feet to 488 feet, to augment low inflows and for flood-control capability. As dated examples, Alabama Power reported on November 1, 2000 that Smith Lake stood at 490.0 feet, near its all-time low of 489 feet, with a normal winter level of 496 feet. On September 6, 2006 it reported 495.3 feet, 14.7 feet below summer pool, the largest drop among the lakes listed in that release. On April 20, 2026 Alabama Power said its hydro team began monitoring dry conditions in December and had taken actions under its federal licenses to keep more water in its lakes, named Smith among the storage lakes most affected by drought, and said some lakes might stay below typical summer levels without consistent rain. Those are history, not a forecast. The shoreline guidelines also say Alabama Power may temporarily suspend permission to draw lake water for residential use if drought conditions exist.

Flood. Alabama Power says floods cause the largest and fastest lake-level changes, and that after a flood the lake is returned to its normal level in preparation for the next one. The spillway crest is at 522 feet, and the shoreline guidelines list 522 feet as the edge of Alabama Power's flood easement, which is why that elevation shows up in permit and septic rules around the lake.

Other causes. FERC's summary says Smith's levels also fluctuate with municipal water withdrawals and natural variation in rainfall.

How the dam and generation affect the lake

Water leaves the lake through the powerhouse (two generators) and, when needed, through the spillway. Alabama Power's Smith Lake page shows the lake level alongside the number of generators running, the spillway discharge and tentative generation schedules for coming days, all under the caveat that elevations "are always subject to change". Alabama Power does not publish, on the pages we reviewed, a rule of thumb for how much a day of generation moves the whole lake, so look at the level history on the gauge instead of assuming.

The same page lists four hazards around the dam and powerhouse: swirling water and strong underwater currents at powerhouse intakes, turbulent discharges from automatically operated turbines, slippery shoreline surfaces, and submerged hazards with rapidly rising water from turbine or spillway discharge. Stay out of the water near the dam and powerhouse.

How to read the live gauge

Elevation is stated in feet above mean sea level, not depth. A reading of 505 means the water surface is 505 feet above sea level, which is 5 feet below the 510-foot full-pool line. To estimate how far below full pool the lake is, subtract the reading from 510. To compare with the seasonal plan, use the guide curve shown on the pages below.

Where to look:

• The Lake page on Smith Lake NOW shows the level and generation from official gauge data, with the time of each reading, and flags readings that look stale. The help article on where lake data comes from explains the sources, and official alerts explains the warnings shown there.
• Alabama Power's Smith Lake page is the operator's own: level, generators, spillway discharge, tentative generation schedules and the seasonal guide chart. The Alabama Power Shorelines app sends level and generator notifications.
• The NOAA National Water Prediction Service page for the Black Warrior River at Smith Dam (gauge ID ARKA1) is the National Weather Service's listing for the dam. Use it as a cross-check on the operator's number.
• USGS lists a station at Lewis Smith Dam, but it shows no continuous data, so the U.S. Geological Survey is not a source for the lake level. USGS stream gauges such as Sipsey Fork near Grayson show inflow into the lake basin, not lake elevation, and their data is labeled provisional.

Always check the timestamp. If the reading is hours old, it is not "now".

Boating and ramp access at low water

Whether a particular ramp, launch lane or marina can be used at a given level depends on the facility, so check with its operator before you tow a boat. We do not list which ramps close. Our boat ramps and public access guide and marinas guide cover where facilities are, and the boat ramps help article says what we have verified.

Alabama Power's advice, repeated across its notices, is to watch changing conditions, stay mindful of personal safety and be ready to protect property. Its April 2026 statement tells boaters to "use caution in shallow or unfamiliar areas". Its November 1, 2000 drought notice warned that boaters on its reservoirs "could encounter shallow water and other hazards that normally aren't exposed". Alabama Power does not publish a list of specific hazards, so treat every unfamiliar cove as unmapped at low water.

General boating safety from Alabama Power's National Safe Boating Week post (May 19, 2026): wear a life jacket (children under 8 must wear a Coast Guard-approved one), tell someone your plan, use the engine cut-off device, watch the weather and follow speed zones. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency's Marine Patrol Division publishes its own boating safety guidance, for example this 2019 release, which also stresses life jackets, safe distances from docks and shorelines, and not exceeding a boat's capacity plate.

Docks, lifts and swimming areas

A dock that floats at 510 feet may sit on the bottom or high on the bank near 496 feet. Alabama Power's notices urge owners of water-related equipment to protect it as conditions change. Consider checking lifts and cables at the lowest water, and remember that new construction and substantial repair on Alabama Power's shoreline need a written permit before work starts (Alabama Power's permits page excludes painting and pressure washing). Alabama Power's permits page notes that the best time for permitted work is during a drawdown because there is more lakebed access. In areas identified as potential flattened musk turtle habitat on Smith Lake, Alabama Power's contractor guide describes enhanced natural stabilization construction as allowed between November 1 and March 31. See the dock and shoreline permits guide for the rules, fees and transfer requirements.

For swimming, Alabama Power's 2025 summer safety post advises not swimming near boats, marinas or launching ramps because electrical current can leak into the water from boat or marina wiring. At low water, remember that the bank is slippery (Alabama Power lists slippery shoreline surfaces among Smith Lake's hazards) and that a spot that was deep in July can be shallow in December. Call 911 first in an emergency; see the emergencies help article.

Fishing

An Alabama freshwater fishing license is required for most anglers, with exceptions the state lists, for example for residents 65 and older and resident bank fishing in the county of residence. Details, current fees and where to buy are at Outdoor Alabama. The state's Smith Lake fishing page says depths can reach 200 feet or more, that most bass, bream and crappie fishing is done by casting to large rocks and fallen trees along the shoreline, and that special striped bass regulations apply. Because that cover sits along the shoreline, where it sits relative to the water changes with the lake level. Regulations and limits are the state's to set, so read the current rules before you fish. Local guides are in the directory.

What to expect by season

This is the normal pattern described by the sources above. Real conditions in any year can differ.

• January to March: winter pool through January 31, then the spring fill; FERC's summary says the lake is back at full pool by April 1. Low water is when docks and seawalls are easiest to inspect and, with a permit, repair.
• April to June: near full pool, the peak boating and swimming season.
• July to November: gradual lowering. Alabama Power states the lowering begins July 1 and ends November 30. The shoreline moves out a little each week, so a cove you used in July may be different by October.
• December: winter pool, the shallowest normal condition for docks and coves.

Buying or building at the lake

Ask about water depth at the dock at winter pool, not just in summer. We cannot supply that number for any property, and a listing's claim is the seller's, not ours. Our buying guide lays out the checklist, and listings whose sellers say they have deep water year-round are collected on the deep-water waterfront page.

What we could not verify

• The reason Alabama Power gives two sets of acreage and shoreline figures.
• A published, current guide-curve table of elevations by date. Alabama Power's chart is an image; ask Alabama Power or check FERC's eLibrary for Project No. 2165.
• How many feet one day of generation changes the lake.
• Which specific ramps and facilities are usable at which levels.

Contact Alabama Power's Shoreline Management office for Smith Lake in Jasper at 205-384-7385 for permit and shoreline questions.