A view of the lake from a small mountain peak bordering the lake.
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40.6450° N120.7440° W1,558 mBortle 2Los Angeles

Eagle Lake Photography Guide

Lake in Lassen County, California · 1,558 m (5,112 ft)

  • Bortle 2 sky
  • Sunset azimuth 239°–303°
  • Clearest: July
  • Milky Way Mar–Sep
Photo: UFHoops06 at English Wikipedia · Public domain · source

Eagle Lake is a lake in Lassen County, California at about 1,558 m (5,112 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Susanville, about 27 km (17 mi) away (Eagle Lake lies NNW of town).

Eagle Lake is a lake at 5,098 ft (1,554 m) elevation in Lassen County approximately 15 mi (24 km) north of Susanville, California. An endorheic alkaline lake, it is the second largest natural lake entirely in the state of California, United States.From the Wikipedia article “Eagle Lake (Lassen County)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Elevation
1,558 m
5,112 ft
Nearest town
Susanville
27 km (17 mi)
Sky darkness
Bortle 2
Typical truly dark site
Clearest month
July
19% cloud
Milky Way peak
June
4.7 h window
Golden hour (Oct)
5:47 PM
sunset 6:24 PM

Light at Eagle Lake

Live
Sunrise
7:20 AM
Sunset
6:17 PM
Golden hour AM
7:03 AM – 7:58 AM
Golden hour PM
5:39 PM – 6:34 PM
Blue hour AM
6:52 AM – 7:03 AM
Blue hour PM
6:34 PM – 6:44 PM
Full darkness
7:48 PM – 5:50 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 71%
Moonrise / set
3:35 PM / 1:23 AM
Day length
10h 57m
Sunrise azimuth
103°
Sunset azimuth
257°
000306091215182124
NightTwilightBlue hourGolden hourDaylight

Times in America/Los Angeles. Golden hour = sun −4° to +6°; blue hour = −6° to −4°.

Clouds at sunrise & sunset

NWS

Hourly sky cover from the National Weather Service. 20–60% cloud often gives the most colorful sunrises and sunsets.

Sunrise & sunset directions

At Eagle 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 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice
DateSunriseAzimuthSunsetAzimuthNoon sunDaylight
March equinox (Mar 20)7:07 AM90° E7:15 PM271° W49°12h 08m
June solstice (Jun 21)5:33 AM58° ENE8:38 PM303° WNW73°15h 05m
September equinox (Sep 22)6:51 AM89° E7:02 PM271° W50°12h 10m
December solstice (Dec 21)7:24 AM121° ESE4:40 PM239° WSW26°9h 15m

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 startsSunriseGolden hour endsGolden hour startsSunsetBlue hour endsDaylight
January6:55 AM7:25 AM8:07 AM4:19 PM5:01 PM5:31 PM9h 35m
February6:30 AM6:58 AM7:36 AM5:00 PM5:38 PM6:06 PM10h 41m
March6:48 AM7:15 AM7:52 AM6:34 PM7:10 PM7:37 PM11h 55m
April5:56 AM6:25 AM7:01 AM7:06 PM7:42 PM8:11 PM13h 17m
May5:16 AM5:47 AM6:26 AM7:34 PM8:13 PM8:45 PM14h 27m
June4:59 AM5:32 AM6:13 AM7:55 PM8:36 PM9:10 PM15h 04m
July5:13 AM5:45 AM6:26 AM7:53 PM8:34 PM9:06 PM14h 48m
August5:45 AM6:14 AM6:52 AM7:25 PM8:02 PM8:32 PM13h 48m
September6:17 AM6:44 AM7:21 AM6:38 PM7:14 PM7:41 PM12h 29m
October6:47 AM7:15 AM7:52 AM5:47 PM6:24 PM6:52 PM11h 09m
November6:21 AM6:51 AM7:31 AM4:06 PM4:46 PM5:16 PM9h 56m
December6:50 AM7:21 AM8:04 AM3:54 PM4:37 PM5:08 PM9h 17m

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 Eagle Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.

MonthCore visible (15th)HoursMax altitudeDirection
JanuaryBelow 10° in darkness—-2°—
February5:20 AM – 5:20 AM0.011°SE → SE
March4:31 AM – 5:41 AM1.217°SE → SSE
April2:31 AM – 4:41 AM2.220°SE → S
May12:27 AM – 3:47 AM3.320°SE → S
June10:43 PM – 3:23 AM4.720°SSE → SSW
July10:34 PM – 1:54 AM3.320°S → SW
August9:46 PM – 11:56 PM2.220°S → SW
September8:47 PM – 9:57 PM1.217°SSW → SW
October7:55 PM – 7:55 PM0.011°SW → SW
NovemberBelow 10° in darkness—-1°—
DecemberBelow 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.84 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.

Weather & best season

Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 19% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (65%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.

Average cloud cover (%)

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High °F59657177899710610098897356
Low °F-8-310162128383926180-3
Precip. (in)2.83.43.01.81.30.60.20.20.41.22.33.8

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.
  • 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)

FAQ

When is the best time to photograph Eagle Lake?
July has the clearest skies on average; june is best for the milky way core. For light, plan around the first and last hour of sun. Autumn mornings bring mist and fall color; high-elevation lakes are usually ice-free only from early summer to mid-autumn.
What time is golden hour at Eagle Lake?
In October the evening golden hour starts around 5:47 PM and ends after sunset at about 6:24 PM; the morning golden hour lasts until about 7:52 AM. Use the live widget above for exact times on any date.
Where does the sun rise and set at Eagle Lake?
Sunrise azimuth ranges from about 58° in June to 121° in December; sunset ranges from 303° to 239°. See the sun-path diagram for the full arc.
Can you see the Milky Way from Eagle Lake?
Yes — the core is visible from March to September on moonless nights. The estimated sky quality is Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site).
Do you need a permit to photograph at Eagle Lake?
Personal photography from public land rarely needs a permit. Commercial shoots, models, large groups and drones may require permission from the land manager — check before you go.
How far is Eagle Lake from Susanville?
About 27 km (17 mi) in a straight line; driving distance is usually longer, especially in mountain terrain.

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.