SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE, Va. – Don Moore loaded up his cooler, fishing gear and family to hit the water at Smith Mountain Lake on Friday.
After visiting the lake for the first time last year, Moore said he and his wife had to come back this summer.
“This year, I brought my brother-in-law, my sister-in-law, my niece and my wife, so we’re going to have a good time on the lake today. And they’ve never been on a boat before so it’s exciting,” said Moore.
Moore is one of many with plans of returning to the well-known lake this summer. Businesses at Smith Mountain Lake said they’re prepared for the summer rush despite the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.
Mitchell’s Point Marina is excited for the season ahead.
“Last year I think a lot of people discovered Smith Mountain Lake for the first time when they were trying to avoid crowds,” said Vice President of Operations Chris Levey. “And already this year we’ve seen people returning for the second time and some more first-timers. So I think this year’s going to be really busy.”
During the pandemic, the marina said it had to put capital improvements on pause.
“We were able to pick those up this year, make a lot of improvements around here and beautify the place,” said Levey.
Supply chain delays also impacted the marina’s fleet at SML Boat Rentals.
“We have a lot of new boats here that we rent out, and we had to order them in August of 2020. A couple of them we’re still getting this week,” said Levey.
Still, he said last summer was their best ever and expects summer 2021 to be another successful season.
Drifter’s, a restaurant that opened during the pandemic, is another business that is prepared for the summer. Owner Ryan Walters said it lost a month and a half because of COVID-19 shutdowns, spent the off-season renovating and now are more ready than ever for customers.
“We’re super blessed in the fact that a lot of restaurants are struggling with staffing purposes and, you know, we really feel their pain. However, we have a great team on our side,” said Walters.
Both Mitchell’s and Drifter’s are fully staffed and said business is booming, even during the pandemic.
After enjoying time spent with his family, Moore advises people to “get out on the lake” and have a good time.
“It’s gorgeous,” Moore said. “There are all kinds of stuff to do here. Come down to Smith Mountain Lake. Check it out.”
“Smith Mountain Lake is open for business,” said Levey. “Come on out, and join us for some fun and exciting times.”