Located in San Bernardino County, California, Big Bear Lake is a lake. It is part of San Bernardino National Forest. It sits roughly 6.0 km (3.7 mi) W of Big Bear Lake.
Big Bear Lake is a reservoir in the western United States, located in the San Bernardino Mountains in San Bernardino County, California. It is a snow and rain-fed lake, having no other means of tributaries or mechanical replenishment. At a surface elevation of 6,743 ft (2,055 m) above sea level, it has an east–west length of approximately seven miles (11 km) and is approximately 2.5 miles (4.0 km) at its widest measurement, though the lake's width mostly averages a little more than 1⁄2 mi (0.8 km). These approximations are based on the lake having an optimum retainable water level. At dam's end, Big Bear measures its deepest water at 72 feet (22 m).From the Wikipedia article “Big Bear Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Big Bear Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:52 AM | 90° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:37 AM | 61° ENE | 8:04 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 27m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:37 AM | 89° E | 6:46 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:51 AM | 118° ESE | 4:43 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 52m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Lakes reflect best in calm air — usually the first hour after sunrise, before breezes ripple the surface.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:27 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:29 PM | 10h 07m |
| February | 6:08 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:08 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:32 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 6:34 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:21 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:51 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:51 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:46 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:19 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 57m |
| June | 5:07 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 26m |
| July | 5:19 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 13m |
| August | 5:43 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:03 PM | 13h 27m |
| September | 6:07 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:05 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:21 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:29 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:28 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:15 PM | 6:40 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 5:55 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:58 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:12 PM | 10h 23m |
| December | 6:20 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 53m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Big Bear Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 27° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:26 AM – 5:06 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:40 AM – 5:30 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:38 AM – 4:38 AM | 3.0 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:41 PM – 4:01 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:47 PM – 3:47 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:43 PM – 2:23 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:08 PM – 12:18 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:21 PM – 10:21 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:38 PM – 8:18 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.08 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 14% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (39%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 81 | 85 | 91 | 99 | 108 | 114 | 114 | 113 | 112 | 100 | 88 | 79 |
| Low °F | 22 | 23 | 28 | 33 | 39 | 48 | 59 | 55 | 47 | 32 | 26 | 23 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.7 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this lake
- Expose for the brighter sky; reflections are typically half a stop to a stop darker.
- After sunset, long exposures smooth wind ripples into glass.
- For mirror reflections, get low and close to the water; the reflection grows with a lower camera.
- A polarizer can remove reflections to show the lakebed — or keep them, depending on rotation.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Autumn mornings bring mist and fall color; high-elevation lakes are usually ice-free only from early summer to mid-autumn.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Circular polarizer, Wide-angle lens, Waterproof boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Big Bear Lake, closest first.
Lighthouse
Fire Lookout
Lake
Lake
Waterfall
Hot SpringWaterfallWaterfall
Wilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Bluff Mesa Group Camp2.1 km (1.3 mi) · reservable
- Grays Peak Group Camp3.6 km (2.2 mi) · reservable
- Boulder Group Camp3.6 km (2.2 mi) · reservable
- Hanna Flat5.1 km (3.2 mi) · reservable
- Serrano6.4 km (4.0 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Big Bear Lake?
What time is golden hour at Big Bear Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Big Bear Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Big Bear Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Big Bear Lake?
How far is Big Bear Lake from Big Bear Lake?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.