Located in El Dorado County, California, Francis Lake is a lake at about 1,912 m (6,273 ft) above sea level. It is part of Eldorado National Forest. It sits roughly 21 km (13 mi) WSW of Tahoma.
Francis Lake is a small backcountry lake in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, to the west of Lake Tahoe in the Eldorado National Forest. There are no trails to this lake. This lake is very near Loon Lake.From the Wikipedia article “Francis Lake (California)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Francis Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (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 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:06 AM | 90° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:37 AM | 59° ENE | 8:31 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 54m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:50 AM | 89° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 120° ESE | 4:43 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 26m |
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 | 6:50 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 44m |
| February | 6:26 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:49 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:35 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:58 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:19 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 18m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 53m |
| July | 5:18 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 38m |
| August | 5:47 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 42m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:19 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:38 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:45 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:51 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:17 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:17 PM | 10h 03m |
| December | 6:44 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:56 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 27m |
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 Francis Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:08 AM – 5:18 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:17 AM – 5:37 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:13 AM – 4:43 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:15 AM – 3:55 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:28 PM – 3:28 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:21 PM – 2:11 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:37 PM – 12:07 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:42 PM – 10:02 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:52 PM – 8:02 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 ≈ 21.41 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 14% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 70 | 75 | 84 | 97 | 104 | 107 | 103 | 107 | 97 | 83 | 70 |
| Low °F | 17 | 9 | 17 | 26 | 32 | 38 | 46 | 46 | 38 | 32 | 12 | 13 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.7 | 5.4 | 4.9 | 3.0 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 1.7 | 3.4 | 6.0 |
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
- A polarizer can remove reflections to show the lakebed — or keep them, depending on rotation.
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Francis Lake, closest first.
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Wilderness Area
Lake
Wilderness Area
Lake
Waterfall
Scenic Viewpoint
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Loon Lake1.2 km (0.8 mi) · reservable
- Loon Lake Chalet2.2 km (1.4 mi) · reservable
- Northshore Campground - Loon Lake (Ca)2.5 km (1.6 mi) · reservable
- Northshore Campground2.5 km (1.6 mi)
- Wentworth Springs Campground3.1 km (1.9 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Francis Lake?
What time is golden hour at Francis Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Francis Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Francis Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Francis Lake?
How far is Francis Lake from Tahoma?
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.