Jenks Lake — a lake in San Bernardino County, California at about 2,054 m (6,739 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It is part of San Bernardino National Forest. It sits roughly 9.2 km (5.7 mi) SSE of Big Bear Lake.
Jenks Lake is a lake in the San Bernardino National Forest near Angelus Oaks in San Bernardino County, California. The lake offers several fish species including bass, catfish, bluegill, and rainbow trout. Trout season usually runs from April to October. Although the lake is man-made, it receives water diverted from the Santa Ana River via a flume, visible from the popular South Fork Trail.From the Wikipedia article “Jenks Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Jenks 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 | 8:03 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 26m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:36 AM | 89° E | 6:46 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:50 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 | 7:31 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:29 PM | 10h 08m |
| February | 6:08 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:08 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:32 PM | 5:57 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 | 7:19 PM | 7:45 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:19 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 56m |
| June | 5:07 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 25m |
| July | 5:19 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 13m |
| August | 5:43 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:03 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 6:06 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:05 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:21 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:28 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:27 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:15 PM | 6:40 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 5:55 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:58 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:11 PM | 10h 24m |
| December | 6:19 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:25 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 Jenks 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 ≈ 20.22 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.
- 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 Jenks Lake, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Waterfall
Mountain PeakWaterfallWaterfall
LighthouseWaterfall
Lake
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Council789 m · reservable
- Barton Flats962 m · reservable
- San Gorgonio1.6 km (1.0 mi) · reservable
- Oso Group2.2 km (1.4 mi) · reservable
- Lobo Group2.3 km (1.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Jenks Lake?
What time is golden hour at Jenks Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Jenks Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Jenks Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Jenks Lake?
How far is Jenks Lake from Big Bear Lake?
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.