Lake Size: 21,200 acres
Shoreline Length (Miles): 500 miles
Deepest Depth: 300 feet
Latitude: 33.942222
Longitude: -87.105833
Lake Level Above Sea Level: 510 feet
Counties: Cullman, Walker, Winston
Cities: Cullman, Walker, Winston

Information: Lewis Smith Lake is a reservoir in north Alabama. Located on the Sipsey Fork of the Black Warrior River, the lake covers over 21,000 acres (85 km2) [1] in Cullman, Walker, and Winston counties. The three-fingered lake has over 500 miles (800 km) [1] of shoreline, and at full pool has a level of 510 feet (160 m). The lake was created by Alabama Power by use of the Smith Lake Dam. The largest earthen dam in the eastern United States, it stretches 2,200 feet (670 m) in length and reaches a maximum height of 300 feet (91 m). Construction began on November 25, 1957, and the dam entered service on September 5, 1961. Nearby towns include Bremen, Crane Hill and Dodge City in Cullman County; Curry and Jasper in Walker County; and Addison, Arley, and Double Springs in Winston County. It is the second-cleanest lake in America, behind Lake Tahoe. 1863 - April 30 Civil War Battle of Hog Mountain (History of the Clarkson Covered Bridge Site) The history of the Clarkson Covered Bridge site began many years before the first plank was ever put into place. During the Civil War, Union Col. Abel Streight led a small band of men through Cullman County toward Rome, Georgia, in an ill-fated attempt to destroy the Western Atlantic Railroad that supplied Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg's army in middle Tennessee. Pursued by the famous (and perhaps infamous) Confederate Gen. Nathaniel B. Forrest, Streight engaged in a number of battles in Cullman County that culminated in the running skirmish now known as Streight's Raid. One of these battles, the Battle of Hog Mountain, took place on April 30, 1863, and was fought in the vicinity of the site where Clarkson Bridge now stands. Many Civil War artifacts have been recovered along the banks of Crooked Creek, the narrow waterway spanned by Clarkson Bridge. 1974 - June 25 Clarkson Covered Bridge Named to the National Register of Historic Places On June 25, 1974, Clarkson Covered Bridge was named to the National Register of Historic Places. Shortly thereafter, in 1975, the Cullman County Commission restored the site with the help of concerned citizens as part of the American Bicentennial Project, embellishing the grounds with hiking trails, a picnic area, and two period structures built to accent the historical nature of the bridge: a Dogtrot log cabin and a working grist mill. Located just off U.S. Highway 278 in Bethel, Clarkson Bridge is the site of the Old Fashioned Days event, an annual fundraiser for the park system, as well as numerous weddings, car shows and various other activities.