Possum Kingdom Lake, located on the main stem of the Brazos River northwest of Fort Worth, was the first water supply reservoir constructed in the Brazos
River basin. The project was authorized through a
permit issued by the State of Texas in 1938.
Located in Young, Palo Pinto, Stephens, and Jack counties, the construction of the Morris Sheppard Dam was begun in 1938 and completed in 1941 with
the aid of the Works Progress Program.
Possum Kingdom Lake covers an area of 16,716 acres with 219 miles of shoreline. The reservoir holds approximately 540,000 acre-feet of water with 230,750 acre-feet
available as water supply for the Brazos basin. Depth of the lake varies with the original terrain of the area and is approximately 100 feet at the dam site.