I have never seen nor heard of timbers in this area. I have, however, seen photos of them taken around Jordan Lake SRA. As far as I have read or seen, the only venomous snake we have in this area is the copperhead. However, if you do find any around this area, PLEASE let me know. I'd love to see if I can catch a few photos of them.
To my knowledge, there are no smallmouths anywhere around the Falls lake project. I don't think the water here is cool enough to sustain any populations. Again, if you happen to get any photos, I'd love to see them and know when/where you took them.
Good luck, and let me know how things pan out.
Greg