Claytor Lake in Pulaski County, Virginia, is a 4,472-acre (1,810 ha), 21-mile-long (34 km) reservoir on the New River, created for an Appalachian Power Company hydroelectric project.

The idea continued to grow, and in 1946 private citizens and businesses from Pulaski, Radford and Blacksburg raised the money needed to purchase 437 acres (1.77 km2) from Appalachian Power.

They also support programs in boater safety, water quality, hydrilla control, and other areas related to recreation and the environment.

[6] In 2015, the Friends worked with the Boy Scouts' Blue Ridge Mountains Council to obtain approximately 400 tons (400,000 kg) of concrete debris for improved fish habitat at Claytor Lake.

[7] Also involved in the project were the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Pulaski County, and Appalachian Power.

Large and small mouth bass fishing tournaments are a regular seasonal event at Claytor Lake with weights of 15 to 20 lb (6.8 to 9.1 kg) per fisherman being an average winning catch.

The Virginia state record hybrid striped bass was caught in Claytor Lake on March 16, 2016.

A Virginia state record spotted bass was caught on January 1, 2020, which weighed 4 pounds 12 ounces (2.2 kg).