Hey guys, first off I would like to introduce myself. I am new to bass resource and I love it already.

Anyway, I am fishing a tourney on Smith Mountain Lake in late march. I just had a few questions. 1) what is the average water temp in late march? 2) I planned on heading up the Roanoke River in search of pre spawn LM. Is that a good place to start? 3) Any other information about SML in late march would be greatly appreciated. I have never been there and wont get to pre fish it so this will be my main source of info. I look forward to hearing from some of you guys!

Thanks

smith mountains average temp in late march is in the lower 50s.  it also depends on the weather also.  its been a cold winter down here this year.  i haven't been on the water since about the end of december because must of the ramps are froze over.  roanoke river arm is a good place to go, but down no more north then beaver dam creek.  also check out the blackwater side also.  to me the fish seem to start spawning on that side first then the roanoke side.  find some creek channels fish them.  lipless crankbaits and t-rig lizards work for me.

The only advantage I see to fishing up the river, say the "S" curves, and the first 10 miles past the 122 bridge, and I think it is a big advantage, is that the river is fairly narrow there, and it is easier to focus on the abundant nearby structure without running all over the lake. You will spend more time fishing and less time running around. I stay at the West Lake Inn, on the "s" curves and I have never had the need to run 30 miles down the lake to some cove Skeet Reese fished. The weather really dictates conditions at SML, and at the time you are going, the weather could change in a heart beat.