Lake Chabot — a lake in Alameda County, California — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 3.5 km (2.2 mi) E of San Leandro.
Lake Chabot () is a man-made lake covering 317 acres (1.3 km2) in Alameda County, California, United States. Part of the lake lies within Oakland city limits, but most of it lies in unincorporated Castro Valley, just east of San Leandro. It was formed by the damming of San Leandro Creek. The lake was completed in 1875 to serve as a primary source of water for the East Bay. The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has developed a safe eating advisory for Lake Chabot based on levels of mercury found in fish caught here.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Chabot”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Chabot 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 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:13 AM | 90° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:48 AM | 59° ENE | 8:34 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 47m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:21 AM | 120° ESE | 4:54 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 33m |
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 | 6:55 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 51m |
| February | 6:32 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 6:54 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:07 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:30 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 12m |
| June | 5:16 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 46m |
| July | 5:29 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 31m |
| August | 5:57 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 38m |
| September | 6:25 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:44 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:51 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:22 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:20 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:26 PM | 10h 09m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 34m |
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 Chabot, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 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 8 (city 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 | 5:06 AM – 5:26 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:13 AM – 5:43 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:17 AM – 4:57 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:16 AM – 4:06 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:27 PM – 3:47 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:20 PM – 2:20 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:40 PM – 12:20 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:46 PM – 10:16 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:59 PM – 8:19 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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: 8 Bortle 8 — City sky. Only bright constellations are visible; the sky glows orange or white. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.12 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (59%). September 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 | 67 | 69 | 76 | 80 | 87 | 88 | 78 | 85 | 94 | 84 | 78 | 65 |
| Low °F | 36 | 40 | 41 | 43 | 45 | 48 | 51 | 53 | 51 | 47 | 39 | 36 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.4 | 3.7 | 2.9 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 2.2 | 4.4 |
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 Lake Chabot, closest first.
Botanical Garden
Lighthouse
Botanical Garden
State Park
Waterfall
Botanical Garden
Mountain Peak
State Park
BeachCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Chabot?
What time is golden hour at Lake Chabot?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Chabot?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Chabot?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Chabot?
How far is Lake Chabot from San Leandro?
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.