Located in Tehama County, California, Black Butte Lake is a lake at about 139 m (456 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 15.2 km (9.4 mi) WNW of Orland.
Black Butte Lake is an artificial lake located in Tehama and Glenn counties in the U.S. state of California. The lake was formed from Stony Creek in 1963 (1963) upon the completion of Black Butte Dam by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The dam is located approximately 9 miles (14.5 km) west of Orland. At full pool, the lake is 7 miles (11.3 km) long and has a shoreline of 40 miles (64.4 km) and a surface area of 4,460 acres (18 km2). The dam and lake were constructed for flood protection for local towns and agricultural lands. The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment released a warning regarding eating fish caught from this lake based on the elevated mercury level.From the Wikipedia article “Black Butte Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Black Butte Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:14 AM | 90° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:42 AM | 58° ENE | 8:42 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 15h 00m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:58 AM | 89° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:28 AM | 121° ESE | 4:49 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 21m |
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 | 7:00 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:11 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 40m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 43m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:04 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:25 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 22m |
| June | 5:09 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 59m |
| July | 5:23 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 43m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 45m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:47 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:24 PM | 10h 00m |
| December | 6:54 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 22m |
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 Black Butte Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:16 AM – 5:26 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:26 AM – 5:46 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:24 AM – 4:54 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:27 AM – 3:57 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:41 PM – 3:31 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:33 PM – 2:13 AM | 3.7 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:48 PM – 12:08 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:51 PM – 10:11 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:01 PM – 8:11 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.53 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 10% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (58%). 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 | 72 | 72 | 79 | 90 | 103 | 111 | 116 | 113 | 110 | 102 | 88 | 72 |
| Low °F | 24 | 25 | 27 | 29 | 35 | 40 | 52 | 51 | 42 | 35 | 24 | 21 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.8 | 5.3 | 3.9 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 1.4 | 3.2 | 6.6 |
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
- Mist often lifts off lakes on cold mornings after warm days, especially in autumn.
- Include shoreline rocks, reeds or a log as foreground to give the reflection depth.
- Expose for the brighter sky; reflections are typically half a stop to a stop darker.
- After sunset, long exposures smooth wind ripples into glass.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Buckhorn1.0 km (0.6 mi) · reservable
- Orland Buttes3.8 km (2.3 mi) · reservable
- Pines Group Site - Stony Gorge Reservoir28 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Black Butte Lake?
What time is golden hour at Black Butte Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Black Butte Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Black Butte Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Black Butte Lake?
How far is Black Butte Lake from Orland?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.