Abilene's Big Reservoir Sits in Jones County

Drive north from Abilene and Lake Fort Phantom Hill arrives before Jones County feels much like lake country. The reservoir sits on Elm Creek in the county's southeast corner. Abilene owns and operates it for municipal water, industry, and recreation. Construction ran from June 1937 to October 1938.

At conservation pool, the lake covers 4,213 acres and reaches 66 feet at its deepest point. Elm Creek feeds the Clear Fork of the Brazos, so this broad sheet of water belongs to a much larger river system while serving Abilene at the county's southern edge.

The shoreline is not only water infrastructure. Four regular ramps work when the lake is full, while Johnson Park has two ramps for low-water periods. TPWD also lists shore-fishing areas and campgrounds at two city parks. Blue catfish, hybrid striped bass, and white crappie provide the lake's most consistent fishing.