[1] It serves as a cooling pond for the Dominion 1.6 gigawatt Mount Storm Power Station, which provides electricity to more than two million customers in Northern Virginia.

[citation needed] Due to its warm temperature, the lake is a popular diving destination and training ground for scuba divers.

The reservoir, which is in the upper 80s to 90s in the summer and rarely drops below fifty in the winter is outfitted with dive platforms at 30, 50, 75, and 120 feet and is regularly used by divers as a place to test equipment, maintain skill, enjoy a dive, and further training.

The lake's location on the Allegheny Front, one of the windiest spots east of the Mississippi, makes it an excellent destination for small boat sailing.

There is a public boat ramp at the north end of the lake just off West Virginia Route 93.