Lake Mead is a lake in Clark County, Nevada. It lies in or next to Lake Mead National Recreation Area, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Moapa Valley, about 37 km (23 mi) away (Lake Mead lies S of town).
Lake Mead is a reservoir formed by the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River in the Southwestern United States. It is located in the states of Nevada and Arizona, 24 mi (39 km) east of Las Vegas. It is the largest reservoir in the US in terms of water capacity. Lake Mead provides water to the states of Arizona, California, and Nevada as well as some of Mexico, providing sustenance to nearly 20 million people and large areas of farmland. Lake Mead fell to its lowest level since its original filling on 7 August 2026 (elevation 1040.40 ft) and has reached an elevation of only 1037.31 feet as of 17 October 2026. At maximum capacity, Lake Mead is 112 miles (180 km) long, 532 feet (162 m) at its greatest depth, has a surface elevation of 1,229 feet (375 m) above sea level, has a surface area of 247 square miles (640 km2), and contains 28.23 million acre-feet (34.82 km3) of water.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Mead”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Mead the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:42 AM | 90° E | 6:50 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:21 AM | 60° ENE | 7:59 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 38m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:26 AM | 89° E | 6:36 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:46 AM | 119° ESE | 4:27 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 41m |
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 | 6:21 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 58m |
| February | 6:00 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:02 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:45 PM | 10h 53m |
| March | 6:24 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:11 PM | 6:45 PM | 7:11 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:38 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:39 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:38 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 5:03 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:06 PM | 14h 05m |
| June | 4:50 AM | 5:20 AM | 5:59 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:28 PM | 14h 37m |
| July | 5:03 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:26 PM | 14h 24m |
| August | 5:29 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:32 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:57 PM | 13h 33m |
| September | 5:55 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:12 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:19 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:20 AM | 5:28 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:29 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 5:48 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:53 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:31 PM | 4:58 PM | 10h 15m |
| December | 6:14 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:22 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:25 PM | 4:53 PM | 9h 42m |
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 Mead, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:26 AM – 4:56 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:41 AM – 5:21 AM | 1.7 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:33 AM – 4:23 AM | 2.8 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 11:39 PM – 3:49 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:48 PM – 3:28 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:42 PM – 2:02 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:05 PM – 11:55 PM | 2.8 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:14 PM – 9:54 PM | 1.7 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:29 PM – 7:59 PM | 0.5 | 15° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.46 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 22% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (48%). 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 | 79 | 80 | 90 | 99 | 109 | 116 | 116 | 115 | 113 | 100 | 89 | 75 |
| Low °F | 20 | 21 | 26 | 33 | 39 | 51 | 68 | 62 | 47 | 29 | 23 | 21 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.8 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.8 |
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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Lake Mead, closest first.
Ghost Town
Ghost Town
Canyon
State ParkCanyonCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Echo Bay Rv Park7.7 km (4.8 mi)
- Echo Bay Campground7.7 km (4.8 mi) · reservable
- Temple Bar Rv Park25 km (15 mi)
- Temple Bar Campground25 km (16 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Mead?
What time is golden hour at Lake Mead?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Mead?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Mead?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Mead?
How far is Lake Mead from Moapa Valley?
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.