Robinson Lake — a lake in Elko County, Nevada at about 2,775 m (9,104 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Spring Creek, about 26 km (16 mi) away (Robinson Lake lies E of town).
Robinson Lake is a glacial tarn in the Ruby Mountains, in Elko County in the northeastern part of the state of Nevada. It is located just south of the shelf of Soldier Basin, and at an elevation of 9,194 feet (2,802 meters). It has an area of approximately 17 acres (6.9 hectares), and a depth of up to 5 feet (1.5 meters). The lake is the source for Robinson Creek, which drops steeply to the east into Ruby Valley. Both were named for a family of early settlers in Ruby Valley. The lake is a fishing spot for brook trout.From the Wikipedia article “Robinson Lake (Nevada)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Robinson 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) | 6:45 AM | 90° E | 6:53 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:11 AM | 58° ENE | 8:17 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 06m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:29 AM | 89° E | 6:40 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:03 AM | 121° ESE | 4:17 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 15m |
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 | 6:34 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:46 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 35m |
| February | 6:08 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:14 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:44 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 6:26 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:15 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:34 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:40 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:49 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 4:54 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:23 PM | 14h 27m |
| June | 4:37 AM | 5:10 AM | 5:51 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:48 PM | 15h 05m |
| July | 4:51 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 49m |
| August | 5:23 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 5:55 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:59 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:19 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:30 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:00 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:10 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:54 PM | 9h 56m |
| December | 6:28 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:43 AM | 3:32 PM | 4:15 PM | 4:46 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 Robinson 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 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 4:58 AM – 4:58 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:09 AM – 5:19 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:09 AM – 4:19 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:05 AM – 3:25 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:21 PM – 3:01 AM | 4.7 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:12 PM – 1:32 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:24 PM – 11:34 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:25 PM – 9:35 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:33 PM – 7:33 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.89 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 31% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (69%). 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 | 62 | 64 | 73 | 81 | 92 | 98 | 100 | 98 | 95 | 83 | 70 | 54 |
| Low °F | -18 | -6 | -1 | 15 | 19 | 27 | 42 | 40 | 26 | 8 | -8 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 2.0 |
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.
- 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 Robinson Lake, closest first.
Lake
Lake
LakeMountain Peak
Lake
Hot Spring
Canyon
Mountain Peak
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Terraces Campground - Picnic Area13.2 km (8.2 mi) · reservable
- Thomas Canyon13.7 km (8.5 mi) · reservable
- Powerhouse Group Picnic Area16.5 km (10.3 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Robinson Lake?
What time is golden hour at Robinson Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Robinson Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Robinson Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Robinson Lake?
How far is Robinson Lake from Spring Creek?
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.