Lake Mohave — a lake in Clark County, Nevada at about 198 m (650 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to Lake Mead National Recreation Area, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 31 km (19 mi) NNW of Laughlin.
Lake Mohave is a reservoir on the Colorado River between the Hoover Dam and Davis Dam in Cottonwood Valley defining the border between Nevada and Arizona in the United States. This 67-mile (108 km) stretch of the Colorado River flows past Boulder City, Nelson, Searchlight, Cottonwood Cove, Cal-Nev-Ari, and Laughlin to the west in Nevada and Willow Beach and Bullhead City to the east in Arizona. A maximum width of 4 miles (6.4 km) wide and an elevation of 647 feet (197 m), Lake Mohave encompasses 28,260 acres (114.4 km2) of water. As Lake Mead lies to the north of the Hoover Dam, Lake Mohave and adjacent lands forming its shoreline are part of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area administered by the U.S. National Park Service.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Mohave”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Mohave 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 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:43 AM | 90° E | 6:51 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:25 AM | 60° ENE | 7:58 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 33m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:27 AM | 89° E | 6:37 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:45 AM | 119° ESE | 4:30 PM | 242° WSW | 31° | 9h 46m |
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 | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:17 PM | 10h 02m |
| February | 6:00 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:01 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 55m |
| March | 6:25 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:12 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:40 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:41 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:38 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 5:07 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:05 PM | 14h 02m |
| June | 4:54 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:26 PM | 14h 32m |
| July | 5:06 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:24 PM | 14h 19m |
| August | 5:32 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:34 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:56 PM | 13h 30m |
| September | 5:57 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:56 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:13 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:20 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:20 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:30 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 5:48 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:52 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:00 PM | 10h 19m |
| December | 6:13 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:21 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:28 PM | 4:56 PM | 9h 47m |
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 Mohave, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:27 AM – 4:57 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:32 AM – 5:22 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:32 AM – 4:32 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 11:37 PM – 3:47 AM | 4.2 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:45 PM – 3:35 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:40 PM – 2:10 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:03 PM – 12:03 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:14 PM – 10:04 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:30 PM – 8:00 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.59 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 17% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (43%). 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 | 79 | 91 | 98 | 107 | 115 | 116 | 112 | 111 | 100 | 89 | 76 |
| Low °F | 19 | 21 | 26 | 32 | 39 | 51 | 64 | 59 | 47 | 28 | 23 | 21 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.8 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 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
- 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.
- 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 Mohave, closest first.
Wilderness Area
Mountain Peak
Canyon
Wilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Cottonwood Cove Rv Park7.2 km (4.5 mi)
- Katherine Landing Rv Park25 km (16 mi)
- Katherine Landing Campground25 km (16 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Mohave?
What time is golden hour at Lake Mohave?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Mohave?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Mohave?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Mohave?
How far is Lake Mohave from Laughlin?
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.