Lake Casitas — a lake in Ventura County, California — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Oak View, about 3.3 km (2.1 mi) away (Lake Casitas lies WSW of town).
Lake Casitas is a reservoir in Ventura County, California, built by the United States Bureau of Reclamation and completed in 1959. The project provides drinking water and water for irrigation. A secondary benefit is flood control. It was the venue for canoeing and rowing at the 1984 Summer Olympics. Casitas Dam was constructed on Coyote Creek, two miles (3 km) before it joins the Ventura River. Santa Ana Creek and North Fork Coyote Creek also flow into the lake. The system was designed for water from the Ventura River to be diverted into a canal under specific conditions since the impounded watershed is not sufficient to fill the lake. The dam is 279 ft (85 m) creating a lake capacity of 254,000 acre⋅ft (313,000,000 m3). The dam was built as part of the Ventura River Project.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Casitas”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Casitas 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) | 7:02 AM | 90° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:46 AM | 61° ENE | 8:14 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 27m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:46 AM | 89° E | 6:56 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:01 AM | 118° ESE | 4:52 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 51m |
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 | 6:37 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:38 PM | 10h 07m |
| February | 6:18 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:18 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 6:44 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:42 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:01 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:00 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:55 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 5:28 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 57m |
| June | 5:16 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 26m |
| July | 5:28 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 14m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 27m |
| September | 6:16 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:31 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:38 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:05 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:08 AM | 4:18 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:21 PM | 10h 23m |
| December | 6:29 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 52m |
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 Casitas, 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 | 4:35 AM – 5:15 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:49 AM – 5:39 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:47 AM – 4:47 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 11:51 PM – 4:11 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:58 PM – 3:58 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:53 PM – 2:33 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:18 PM – 12:28 AM | 3.2 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 8:30 PM – 10:20 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:47 PM – 8:27 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 ≈ 19.8 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
- 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 Lake Casitas, closest first.
Beach
Canyon
State Park
Hot Spring
Beach
State Park
State Park
State Park
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Wheeler Gorge14.4 km (9.0 mi) · reservable
- Holiday Group Campground14.9 km (9.2 mi) · reservable
- Rose Valley Campground21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Middle Lion Campground23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Reyes Peak Campground27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Casitas?
What time is golden hour at Lake Casitas?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Casitas?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Casitas?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Casitas?
How far is Lake Casitas from Oak View?
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.