Trinity Lake is a lake in Trinity County, California. It sits roughly 13.3 km (8.3 mi) NNE of Lewiston.
Trinity Lake, previously called Clair Engle Lake, is a reservoir on the Trinity River formed by the Trinity Dam and located in Trinity County, California, United States. The dam was built by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The lake's capacity is 2,447,650 acre⋅ft (3,019.13 GL), making it one of the largest reservoirs in California. The lake's surface is at 2,370 ft (720 m) above MSL. Trinity Lake captures and stores water for the Central Valley Project, which provides the Central Valley with water for irrigation and produces hydroelectric power. This lake is known for its many small arms, glassy inlets, and good water-skiing conditions. After the death in office of California United States Senator Clair Engle in 1964, the lake was renamed after him. The name change never received wide popularity and the name was returned to the original name.From the Wikipedia article “Trinity Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Trinity Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:15 AM | 90° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:40 AM | 58° ENE | 8:47 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 06m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:59 AM | 89° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:33 AM | 121° ESE | 4:47 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 14m |
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 | 7:04 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:16 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 34m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 6:56 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:45 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:04 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:23 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 27m |
| June | 5:06 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:18 PM | 15h 05m |
| July | 5:21 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:33 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 49m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 49m |
| September | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:32 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:30 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 55m |
| December | 6:58 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 16m |
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 Trinity Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:28 AM – 5:28 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:39 AM – 5:49 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:39 AM – 4:49 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:35 AM – 3:55 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:51 PM – 3:31 AM | 4.7 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:42 PM – 2:02 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:54 PM – 12:04 AM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:55 PM – 10:05 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:03 PM – 8:03 PM | 0.0 | 11° | 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: 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 8.0+ 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 14% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (61%). 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 | 72 | 72 | 83 | 89 | 101 | 112 | 118 | 114 | 111 | 102 | 86 | 69 |
| Low °F | 14 | 21 | 24 | 29 | 35 | 40 | 52 | 50 | 40 | 33 | 23 | 18 |
| Precip. (in) | 6.0 | 6.6 | 5.6 | 3.2 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 2.3 | 4.4 | 8.3 |
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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Trinity Lake, closest first.
Ghost Town
National Forest
State Park
WaterfallWaterfall
Scenic ViewpointWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Ridgeville Boat-In Campground3.9 km (2.4 mi)
- Ackerman Campground4.1 km (2.6 mi) · reservable
- Minersville Campground5.1 km (3.2 mi) · reservable
- Hayward Flat5.8 km (3.6 mi) · reservable
- Bushytail5.8 km (3.6 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Trinity Lake?
What time is golden hour at Trinity Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Trinity Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Trinity Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Trinity Lake?
How far is Trinity Lake from Lewiston?
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.