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. 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 17,700 acres with 310 miles of shoreline. The reservoir holds approximately 750,000 acre feet of water with 550,000 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.

Named for the United States Senator who was instrumental in obtaining funding for the project, the Morris Sheppard dam is 2,700 feet long and 190 feet high. The dam consists of nine crest “roof weir” type gates, each approximately 74 feet long and 13 feet high for the passage of floodwaters. Each gate passes approximately 9,600 cubic feet per second (cfs) of water when open.

The Morris Sheppard dam is a hydro electric generating facility with two 11,250 kilowatt generators. Categorized as a “peaking plant,” the generators supply electricity during high demand periods.

Possum Kingdom receives an estimated three million recreation visitors annually. Major activities on the lake include fishing, water skiing, and scuba diving. The lake has public fishing piers, five public boat ramps, public access areas for picnicking, and a total of 400 primitive camp sites.