SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE, Va. (WSET) — Drought conditions have taken a toll on Smith Mountain Lake this summer, leaving water levels well below normal.

After months of sitting about five feet below full pond, the lake has begun to rebound after weekend rain.

Jeff Markiewicz with the Smith Mountain Lake Association Water Safety Council said the lake level has climbed to “about 790 and three-quarters of a foot,” nearing 791 feet.

“So we’ve seen probably about a foot and a half, plus, of increase,” Markiewicz said.

That rise is already making a difference for people trying to use boat ramps and get on the water.

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“I had so many people tell me throughout the summer, ‘if I just had 6 more inches, or if I had a foot, I could get my boat out.’ But a foot and a half is the difference between 40% of people not being able to get their boats out to 20%,” said Roy Enslow, manager at the Goodhue Boat Company.

Enslow, who has spent about 20 years on Smith Mountain Lake, said this summer has been one of the toughest he has seen, with impacts stretching beyond boating access.

“My biggest concern is the economic impact that it’s had on businesses on the water, but off the water,” Enslow said.

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From boat rentals to lakeside restaurants, Enslow said businesses across the area have felt the effects of the low water. While the recent rise could help bring customers back, officials and tow operators said boaters still need to be cautious.

“We get a lot of debris on the shore and when that water comes up some of that debris comes off into the lake,” said Randy Stow, a captain with Sea Tow.

The lake still has a few feet to go before it reaches full pond, but Enslow said the latest increase has already changed conditions compared with just a week earlier.

“If you would’ve come here last week, that would’ve all been bare,” Enslow said, pointing at a portion of the lake. “It’s still low, and people still have to use caution; don’t get overconfident. But it really has made a big difference. Just a foot and a half.”