Lake Springfield was created in 1957 with the construction of a dam on the James River.

It cost $11.1 million to buy the land and build the dam to create the lake and first two units of the power station.

[3] The lake was to be a cooling reservoir for the James River Power plant.

[5] The generators were originally constructed to burn natural gas but the federal Fuel Use Act of 1978 forced it to switch to coal.

The lake contains largemouth bass, white crappie, bluegill, redear sunfish, and channel catfish.