Smithville Lake

Smithville Lake
Lower portion of the lake from the east. The dam is just above the center.
Smithville Lake
Smithville Lake
LocationClay / Clinton counties, Missouri, United States
Coordinates39°25′N 94°32′W / 39.42°N 94.53°W / 39.42; -94.53
Typereservoir
Primary inflowsLittle Platte River
Primary outflowsLittle Platte River
Basin countriesUnited States
First flooded1979 (1979)
Surface area7,190 acres (29.1 km2)
Water volume246,500 acre⋅ft (304,100,000 m3)
Shore length1175 miles (282 km)
Surface elevation797 ft (243 m)
WebsiteSmithville Lake USACE
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Smithville Lake is a 7,190-acre (2,910 ha) reservoir on the Little Platte branch of the Platte River in Clay County, Missouri near Smithville. It is the largest body of water in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The reservoir provides the water supply for Smithville, Missouri

The lake was built and is administered by the Kansas City office of the United States Army Corps of Engineers and was built primarily for flood control. The lake is 10th largest of Corps lakes in the district, but third in terms of shoreline. It has 5,000 acres (20 km2) of public land and 175 miles (282 km) of shoreline.