Lake Norconian is a lake in Riverside County, California at about 199 m (653 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Norco, about 2.2 km (1.4 mi) away (Lake Norconian lies WSW of town).
Lake Norconian is an artificial lake in Norco, Riverside County, California. Lake Norconian was created in the early 1920s as part of the Norconian Resort. This 60-acre (24 ha) lake was equipped with a boat house and pavilion. It was the site where a few 1930s movies were filmed. The lake and resort were acquired by the US Navy in 1941; the area is operated as Naval Surface Warfare Center Corona, part of the Naval Surface Warfare Center.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Norconian”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Norconian 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 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:55 AM | 90° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:40 AM | 61° ENE | 8:05 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 25m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:39 AM | 89° E | 6:49 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:52 AM | 118° ESE | 4:46 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 54m |
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 | 6:29 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:32 PM | 10h 09m |
| February | 6:10 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:10 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 6:37 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:25 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:53 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:47 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:22 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 55m |
| June | 5:11 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 24m |
| July | 5:22 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 12m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 6:09 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:07 AM | 6:25 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:23 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:31 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 5:57 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:00 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 25m |
| December | 6:21 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 55m |
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 Norconian, 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 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:28 AM – 5:08 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:41 AM – 5:31 AM | 1.8 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:39 AM – 4:49 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:42 PM – 4:02 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:48 PM – 3:48 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:44 PM – 2:24 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:09 PM – 12:19 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:22 PM – 10:22 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:40 PM – 8:20 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: 8 Bortle 8 — City sky. Only bright constellations are visible; the sky glows orange or white. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.21 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 28% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (43%). August 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 | 85 | 85 | 87 | 93 | 95 | 97 | 100 | 98 | 102 | 101 | 91 | 82 |
| Low °F | 35 | 38 | 40 | 42 | 47 | 49 | 56 | 55 | 55 | 48 | 38 | 38 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.3 | 2.9 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Norconian, closest first.
CanyonCanyon
State Park
State Park
Mountain Peak
Canyon
Canyon
Hot Spring
Mountain PeakFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Norconian?
What time is golden hour at Lake Norconian?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Norconian?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Norconian?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Norconian?
How far is Lake Norconian from Norco?
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.