Does a significant increase in water levels over a week period hurt the smallmouth bite

Depends on whether it's muddy or not. Generally, more

water and stronger current is good.

8-)

when the river is up and the water is a little off color, not muddy, just not crystal clear like it usually is here. They seem to bite more. I think it makes it easier to sneak up on them too, I mostly wade fish. I'm not for sure if that is the reason, just a guess.

Went and fished below the pickwick dam this morning on the Tennessee river and caught my first smallie.  The current was pretty strong.  They had 1 out of every 3 flood gates up emptying in the river.  Lots of fish were hitting the top of the water.  I ended up with 2 smallies and caught a variety of other fish.  I think I'm hooked on the smallies now though.  One of the smallies I caught almost put up as big of a fight as the hybrid stripe I caught and was not near the size of the hybrid.  The best bite was while it was raining.