Located in Santa Barbara County, California, Lake Cahuma is a lake. It is part of Los Padres National Forest. It sits roughly 9.6 km (6.0 mi) ESE of Santa Ynez.
Cachuma Lake is a reservoir in the Santa Ynez Valley of central Santa Barbara County, California on the Santa Ynez River adjoining the north side of California State Route 154. The artificial lake was created by the construction of Bradbury Dam, a 201 ft (61 m) earth-fill structure built by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in 1953. Its surface area covers 3,100 acres (1,300 ha), with a maximum design capacity of 205,000 acre⋅ft (253,000,000 m3), but it is currently limited to 188,000 acre⋅ft (232,000,000 m3) due to sediment accumulation. The late-December 2022 and early-January 2023 storms dramatically raised the water level in the lake, from an average of 33% full to 100% full for the first time in 12 years.From the Wikipedia article “Cachuma Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Cahuma 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) | 7:04 AM | 90° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:48 AM | 61° ENE | 8:17 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 28m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:49 AM | 89° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:04 AM | 118° ESE | 4:54 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 50m |
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 | 6:40 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:40 PM | 10h 06m |
| February | 6:21 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:21 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 57m |
| March | 6:46 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:03 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:03 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:58 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 5:30 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 58m |
| June | 5:18 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 28m |
| July | 5:30 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 15m |
| August | 5:55 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 28m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:34 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:41 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:08 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:11 AM | 4:20 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:23 PM | 10h 22m |
| December | 6:32 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:39 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 51m |
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 Lake Cahuma, 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:38 AM – 5:18 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:52 AM – 5:42 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:51 AM – 4:51 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:54 PM – 4:14 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:01 PM – 4:01 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:56 PM – 2:36 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:21 PM – 12:31 AM | 3.2 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:33 PM – 10:23 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:50 PM – 8:30 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.04 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 21% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (43%). 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 | 82 | 83 | 85 | 93 | 99 | 108 | 109 | 106 | 111 | 100 | 89 | 80 |
| Low °F | 25 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 35 | 43 | 48 | 50 | 42 | 37 | 29 | 25 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.1 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 2.3 |
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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Lake Cahuma, closest first.
Hot Spring
Natural Arch
State Park
State Park
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Waterfall
CaveCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Fremont Campground15.5 km (9.6 mi) · reservable
- Paradise Campground16.2 km (10.1 mi) · reservable
- Mt. Figueroa Campground16.5 km (10.2 mi) · reservable
- Los Prietos16.5 km (10.3 mi) · reservable
- Sage Hill18.2 km (11.3 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Cahuma?
What time is golden hour at Lake Cahuma?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Cahuma?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Cahuma?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Cahuma?
How far is Lake Cahuma from Santa Ynez?
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.