Laguna Lake — a lake in Sonoma County, California at about 69 m (226 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Petaluma, about 9.9 km (6.2 mi) away (Laguna Lake lies WSW of town).
Laguna Lake is a shallow natural lake at the head of the Chileno Valley. It retains some water year round. The 200 acres (81 ha) lake is 0.5 miles (1 km) wide and 2 miles (3 km) long, straddling the Sonoma-Marin county line in northern California, United States. It is the source of Chileno Creek which flows 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) west to Walker Creek. It was included in the Rancho Laguna de San Antonio Mexican land grant, which was given to Bartolomé Bojorquez in 1845. Laguna Lake is used extensively for migrating and breeding waterfowl and Agriculture.From the Wikipedia article “Laguna Lake (California)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Laguna 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 301° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:15 AM | 90° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:49 AM | 59° ENE | 8:38 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 50m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:00 AM | 89° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:25 AM | 120° ESE | 4:55 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 30m |
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 | 6:58 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 48m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 48m |
| March | 6:57 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:45 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:09 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:31 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 15m |
| June | 5:17 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 49m |
| July | 5:30 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 34m |
| August | 5:59 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 39m |
| September | 6:27 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:47 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:34 PM | 7:01 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:28 PM | 10h 07m |
| December | 6:52 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 31m |
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 Laguna Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:09 AM – 5:29 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:16 AM – 5:46 AM | 1.5 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:21 AM – 4:51 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:22 AM – 4:12 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:33 PM – 3:43 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:26 PM – 2:26 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:44 PM – 12:24 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:50 PM – 10:20 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:02 PM – 8:22 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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: 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 ≈ 19.98 mag/arcsec².
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 (57%). 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 | 73 | 75 | 76 | 87 | 100 | 106 | 109 | 107 | 112 | 103 | 87 | 71 |
| Low °F | 25 | 27 | 28 | 30 | 35 | 42 | 48 | 48 | 45 | 37 | 27 | 24 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.7 | 5.1 | 3.7 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.3 | 2.9 | 6.2 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Laguna Lake, closest first.
Mountain Pass
State Park
State Park
Mountain Peak
Natural Arch
State Park
Beach
State Park
Wilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Laguna Lake?
What time is golden hour at Laguna Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Laguna Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Laguna Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Laguna Lake?
How far is Laguna Lake from Petaluma?
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.