Lake Rhoda is a lake in Jefferson County, Colorado at about 1,629 m (5,344 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 2.3 km (1.4 mi) NE of Wheat Ridge.
Lake Rhoda is a natural lake in the town of Lakeside, Colorado, located between Interstate 70 and West 44th Avenue. Originally named West Berkeley Lake, it was renamed for Rhoda Krasner by her father, Ben Krasner, who rescued Lakeside Amusement Park from bankruptcy during the Great Depression.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Rhoda”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Rhoda 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 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:05 AM | 90° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:33 AM | 58° ENE | 8:33 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 59m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:49 AM | 89° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:19 AM | 121° ESE | 4:40 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 21m |
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 | 6:51 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 40m |
| February | 6:26 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 43m |
| March | 6:46 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:48 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:16 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 22m |
| June | 5:00 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 58m |
| July | 5:14 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 43m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 45m |
| September | 6:15 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:18 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:38 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:44 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:17 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 00m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:58 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 22m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 Rhoda, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 9 (inner-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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:07 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:17 AM – 5:37 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:15 AM – 4:45 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:18 AM – 3:48 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:32 PM – 3:22 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:24 PM – 2:04 AM | 3.7 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:39 PM – 11:59 PM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:42 PM – 10:02 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:52 PM – 8:02 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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: 9 Bortle 9 — Inner-city sky. Only the Moon, planets and a few bright stars are visible. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 17.98 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 September as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and April as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 46 | 47 | 64 | 68 | 81 | 86 | 87 | 85 | 82 | 73 | 62 | 49 |
| Low °F | -21 | -30 | -20 | -8 | 4 | 23 | 34 | 31 | 16 | -6 | -14 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.3 |
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
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Rhoda, closest first.
Botanical Garden
National Wildlife Refuge
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Ghost Town
National Wildlife RefugeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Rhoda?
What time is golden hour at Lake Rhoda?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Rhoda?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Rhoda?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Rhoda?
How far is Lake Rhoda from Wheat Ridge?
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.