Lower Klamath Lake is a lake in Siskiyou County, California. It sits roughly 24 km (15 mi) S of Altamont.
Lower Klamath Lake is a lake in Siskiyou County, California, United States.From the Wikipedia article “Lower Klamath Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lower Klamath Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:32 AM | 57° ENE | 8:47 PM | 303° WNW | 71° | 15h 14m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:32 AM | 122° ESE | 4:39 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 07m |
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 | 7:02 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:16 AM | 4:18 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 28m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:58 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 5:15 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 34m |
| June | 4:57 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:14 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:19 PM | 15h 13m |
| July | 5:12 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:27 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 56m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 53m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:46 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:28 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:39 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 49m |
| December | 6:57 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:14 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 08m |
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 Lower Klamath Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:47 AM – 5:37 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:39 AM – 4:39 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:38 AM – 3:48 AM | 3.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| June | 10:57 PM – 3:17 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:47 PM – 1:57 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 9:55 PM – 11:55 PM | 2.0 | 18° | S → SW |
| September | 8:53 PM – 9:53 PM | 1.0 | 15° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.79 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 18% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (66%). 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 | 63 | 63 | 72 | 80 | 89 | 98 | 103 | 100 | 98 | 90 | 76 | 57 |
| Low °F | -11 | -2 | 9 | 10 | 22 | 29 | 39 | 39 | 29 | 19 | 0 | -4 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.5 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.6 | 3.0 | 5.0 |
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 Lower Klamath Lake, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
Lake
Hot Spring
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge
Lake
Lake
Natural ArchHot SpringCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lower Klamath Lake?
What time is golden hour at Lower Klamath Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lower Klamath Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lower Klamath Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lower Klamath Lake?
How far is Lower Klamath Lake from Altamont?
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.