Completed in 1948 as a flood control and water conservation project of the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the dam impounds the Smoky Hill River.

[5] The Flood Control Act of 1938 authorized the construction of Kanopolis Dam and Lake, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began work in June 1940.

[6] Kanopolis Lake was the first reservoir built in the Corps of Engineers' Kansas City District which continues to oversee it to the present day.

[10] Kansas Highway 141 runs generally north-south along the reservoir's eastern shore and across the top of Kanopolis Dam.

The Corps also oversees 11,000 acres (45 km2) of land around the reservoir, conducting prairie restoration, prescribed burning, and tree planting in order to conserve soil and benefit wildlife.

[13] The Corps also leases 41 units of land totaling roughly 12,500 acres (51 km2) to area farmers to use with designated wildlife management requirements.

[15] The Corps also operates the Boldt Bluff and Yankee Run access areas, located on the reservoir's western shore, for fishing and primitive camping.

KDWP also manages Mushroom Rock State Park located approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) north of the reservoir.

Carved into the sandstone cliffs along the Smoky Hill River by early American settlers, they once served as a schoolhouse, living quarters, and a milk house.

Game animals living around the reservoir include coyotes, deer, pheasants, prairie chickens, rabbits, quail, squirrels, turkeys, and various waterfowl.