Honey Lake — a lake in Lassen County, California — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Janesville, about 15.7 km (9.8 mi) away (Honey Lake lies ESE of town).
Honey Lake is an endorheic sink in the Honey Lake Valley in northeastern California, near the Nevada border. Summer evaporation reduces the lake to a lower level of 12 square kilometers (3,000 acres) and creates an alkali flat. Honey Lake dries almost completely in most years. Honey Lake recreational activities include bird watching, picnicking, hiking, camping, warm-water fishing, and waterfowl hunting. The lake is part of the Honey–Eagle Lakes watershed of 2,770 sq mi (7,200 km2) which includes the Honey Lake Basin of 2,201 sq mi (5,700 km2).From the Wikipedia article “Honey Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Honey 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 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:06 AM | 90° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:33 AM | 58° ENE | 8:35 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 03m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:50 AM | 89° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:21 AM | 121° ESE | 4:39 PM | 240° WSW | 26° | 9h 18m |
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 | 6:53 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:18 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 37m |
| February | 6:28 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 42m |
| March | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:50 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:36 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 5:16 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 25m |
| June | 4:59 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:06 PM | 15h 01m |
| July | 5:13 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 46m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 47m |
| September | 6:16 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:19 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:39 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:45 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 58m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:01 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 19m |
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 Honey 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:18 AM – 5:18 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:29 AM – 5:39 AM | 1.2 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:17 AM – 4:37 AM | 2.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:22 AM – 3:52 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:37 PM – 3:27 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:28 PM – 1:58 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:42 PM – 12:02 AM | 2.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:44 PM – 9:54 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:53 PM – 7:53 PM | 0.0 | 11° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 21.8 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 (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 59 | 65 | 71 | 77 | 89 | 97 | 106 | 100 | 98 | 89 | 73 | 56 |
| Low °F | -8 | -3 | 10 | 16 | 21 | 28 | 38 | 39 | 26 | 18 | 0 | -3 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.2 | 2.3 | 3.8 |
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
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Honey Lake, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Laufman Family Campground12.7 km (7.9 mi) · reservable
- Black Mountain Lookout15.2 km (9.4 mi) · reservable
- Long Point (Ca)21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Boulder Creek (Ca)23 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Lone Rock (Ca)23 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Honey Lake?
What time is golden hour at Honey Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Honey Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Honey Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Honey Lake?
How far is Honey Lake from Janesville?
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.