A favorite time of year for all those who LAKE is Boat Show Season - occurring at the beginning of every year, usually in January, sometimes into March.  For us, it means SPRING is just around the corner.  The lake area begins to be in high gear for the next boating season as soon as the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve!  It's certainly the case for us.

Most of the folks in our area enjoy attending several boat shows each year.  Favorite shows are within about a 3 hour driving range.  Attending shows allows a fun reason to get out and go visit another city, reconnect with other boating friends aka "your lake people," and getting excited for a new season by checking out the vendors - favorite boat brands, marinas, lake life brands and lake-oriented businesses.  

Attached is a list of 2023 boat shows you might like to attend - in order by date.  All shows are a short drive from the lake area.  (we'll try to update this listing each year as soon as we get confirmed info, but also keep the contact information at hand so that you know how to reach out annually for additional information, vendor apps, vendor lists, floorplans/maps and tickets.)

Access:  First of all you have to get here.  Traveling to the lake is quick and easy:
Cullman - access the Cullman County side of the lake primarily off I-65 from Exits 299 (to Hwy 69), 304 (to Hwy 437, Hwy 438 & Hwy 222) & 309 (to Hwy 278)
Walker - enter the Walker side from I-22 into Jasper and through Curry AL
Winston -  the Winston side can be accessed through Cullman and Walker, both head into Arley, AL (The Heart of Smith Lake), or through Hwy 278 on the far northwest side from the Double Springs, AL area.  

For reference, distances are:
from the popular 299 Exit from I65 are:  about 40 minutes to Birmingham AL (40 miles), about 1 hour to Huntsville AL (60 miles), and about 2 hours & 20 mins to Nashville, TN (150 miles)​.  

Once you have an address of where you want to go, everything is accessible via GPS, but keep in mind that most of the lake is still very rural, so traveling around can be tricky.  There are still some dirt/gravel roads in the area, as well as some hard pack roads.  If you're veering off main highways and don't have a 4-wheel-drive, just be mindful of road conditions in inclement weather.

Activities:  there are so many activities to enjoy on Smith Lake.  We'll list a few of our favorites below.  

• Boating - all types of motor operated or man powered vehicles (i.e. cabin cruisers, wakeboard boats, wakesurf boats, pontoons, jet boats, fishing boats, kayaks, canoes, jet-skis, even sailboats in designated areas, etc.).  Check our list of boat ramps if you're not sure where to launch or recover your boat.  The landings we highly recommend for newbies are located at Smith Lake Park, The Dam, Duskin Point Marina, and Duncan Bridge Marina.  Looking for a marina to purchase a boat - try Russell Marine-Smith Lake and Duskin Point Marina, they're happy to help you - see our list of marinas in the area.  Looking to rent a boat - try Duskin Point Marina - see our listing of rentals.  
• Watersports - enjoy anything you like such as wakeboarding, wakesurfing, wakeskating, waterskiing, slalom, kneeboarding, barefooting, hydrofoiling, wakefoiling, surf foiling, efoiling  tubing, stand-up paddle boarding (SUP), etc. (and be sure to check out local watersports shop Lakeside Gear @lakesidegear for great pricing on special orders delivered locally to your door and Pine Valley Outdoor Living @pvoutdoorliving for rentals of lots of watersports equipment and recreational equipment.)
• Fishing - enjoy angling on the reservoir or fly fishing below the reservoir on the peaceful waters of the Black Warrior River.  You will find the lake area provides great fishing.  Common catches are:  Crappie, Bream, Striped Bass, Spotted Bass, White and Largemouth Bass;  Channel & Flathead Catfish, and there are Rainbow Trout provided in the area below the dam for those who love fly-fishing - be sure to check out lessons at well-known Riverside Fly Shop.  For fishing gear, we highly recommend Jasper's Pat's Archery & Outdoors.  Pat's offers equipment for all outdoor sports, from fishing, camping, hiking, hunting to watersports.  You'll find everything you need.  
• Wildlife - there are abundant common wildlife in the area such as deer, fox, raccoons, groundhogs, chipmunks, etc.  It has been reported there are small mountain lions, coyotes and small black bear in the area too, but these would be very few and far between if at all in any given season.  
• Birdwatching - gorgeous birds commonly found in the southeast are proliferate here as well as Eagles, Blue Herons, Mallard Ducks, Canadian Geese, Loons, Kingfishers, many songbirds, hummingbirds, etc...
• And there are so many more general lake activities - swimming, camping, hiking - the possibilities are simply endless.  Be sure to check out our RV campsites in the area.  
• Visiting Smith Lake Landmarks aka #spotsonsmith - find many of the favorite spots on Smith Lake through maps on our MAP page in the LOCAL INFO tab.  We often cover these favorite spots in our magazine, and soon we'll have a page dedicated to these spots.
• Also, adjoining the lake on the far northwest end is the celebrated William B. Bankhead National Forest and Sipsey Wilderness that are simply a MUST SEE.  There are facebook pages dedicated to traversing this treasured area from many different trailheads.  Its nickname is "The Land of a Thousand Waterfalls" - just a Google search or search on social media will show you just why it has that name.  A gorgeous gorge/cavern mountain area full of streams, and of course Sipsey Fork River, and an abundance of well-kept trails along natural rock, rock bluff walls, hills and some valleys at the gutter areas with not only hiking trails, but biking, horseback and riding trails as well.  The area is absolutely STUNNING.  Just "Google it," and be prepared to go down the proverbial "rabbit hole" of beautiful photography and scenery like nothing you've ever seen.
• AND... that's just ON the lake - the three counties that surround the lake offer so much more to do outside the lake area year round - such as the Jasper Main Street area in Jasper's historical downtown area, and the Cullman Warehouse District in the historical area of Cullman that lies near the old Train Depot and right beside Cullman's famous railroad tracks.  Also, there are other natural parks, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, historical sites, and incredible landmarks very close to the area.  A visit to the local Chambers of Commerce in both Cullman and Jasper, as well as area museums, offer a wealth of information about the counties that surround the lake (see links below). 

Also, check out the bottom of our blog on Lewis Smith Dam and Powerhouse for information about visiting the Alabama Power Company Lewis Smith Dam and Powerhouse.  

If you would like more information about our area, we encourage you to check with the local Chamber of Commerce for each city/county and/or the tourism boards in those areas.  In true southern style and hospitality, they will all graciously provide even more detailed and factual information about their specific areas.  

• Cullman Area - Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce and Cullman Parks, Recreation and Tourism
• ​​Walker Area - The Chamber of Commerce of Walker County
• Winston Area - Haleyville Area Chamber of Commerce

We have gathered these facts from numerous sources for the benefit of our community, so please feel free to offer any edits.  Call/text us at 256-708-7679 or email us at thelakesidelife@gmail.com