Leesville business owners are hopeful about the area's economic development, according to GoDanRiver.com.

Those who love Leesville Lake, think that others will, too. A quieter lake than its neighbor, Smith Mountain Lake, there are many available homes and lots at more affordable prices.

Many in the area hope to see some commercial development at Leesville in the future, which might make the lake more well-known.

"Though a bad economy has stalled development at quiet Leesville Lake, commercial growth is inevitable for the Dan River Region’s well-kept secret.

'The economy … has slowed it down, but it’s coming,' said Fred Tannehill, owner of Tri-County Marina at the lake and vice president of the Leesville Lake Association’s board of directors.

County officials and Tannehill say 17-mile-long Leesville Lake — which is connected to Smith Mountain Lake — has great economic potential.

'Right now, Leesville is pretty much an undiscovered lake,' said Tannehill, who has lived at the lake and owned Tri-County Marina since 1976. Most of its 100-plus-mile shoreline is natural, with about a third of it developed, Tannehill said. Leesville Lake covers 3,270 acres, with water levels fluctuating between 600 and 613 feet above sea level."

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