Washoe Lake — a lake in Washoe County, Nevada at about 1,532 m (5,026 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 11.8 km (7.3 mi) NNW of Carson City.
Washoe Lake (Washo: ćóʔyaʔ dáʔaw) is a lake located near Carson City in the Washoe Valley of Washoe County, Nevada. It is a very shallow lake with a surface area that can vary greatly from year to year. Washoe Lake State Park sits on the lake's southeastern shore. Washoe Lake is a eutrophic, shallow lake between Reno and Carson City and just east of the much larger Lake Tahoe. The lake reaches a maximum depth of just 12 feet (3.7 m). The shallowness and the high winds make the lake very turbid. Extensive droughts in the past have caused the lake to dry up entirely, most recently in 1992, 1994, and 2004. Washoe Lake is a warm water fishery and provides a habitat for non-native Sacramento perch, white bass, channel catfish, brown bullhead, and carp. The lake has been stocked by the Nevada Division of Wildlife since 2004 when Washoe Lake last dried up. Two boat launches are on the...From the Wikipedia article “Washoe Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Washoe Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (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) | 7:03 AM | 90° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:34 AM | 58° ENE | 8:30 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 56m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:48 AM | 89° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:16 AM | 120° ESE | 4:40 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 24m |
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 | 6:49 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 43m |
| February | 6:24 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 6:45 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:16 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 20m |
| June | 5:01 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 55m |
| July | 5:14 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 40m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 43m |
| September | 6:14 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:43 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:14 PM | 10h 02m |
| December | 6:43 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:55 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 25m |
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 Washoe Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:06 AM – 5:16 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:16 AM – 5:36 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:12 AM – 4:42 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:14 AM – 3:54 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:28 PM – 3:28 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:20 PM – 2:00 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:36 PM – 12:06 AM | 2.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:40 PM – 10:00 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:51 PM – 8:01 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.64 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 21% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 70 | 71 | 78 | 86 | 95 | 101 | 106 | 101 | 100 | 89 | 74 | 63 |
| Low °F | 5 | 9 | 17 | 21 | 26 | 32 | 47 | 44 | 32 | 19 | 9 | 4 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.2 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Washoe Lake, closest first.
State Park
Hot Spring
Ghost TownMountain Peak
Hot Spring
Ghost Town
Mountain Pass
Waterfall
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Mount Rose (Nv) 9.8 km (6.1 mi) · reservable
- Alpine Meadow Campground28 km (18 mi) · reservable
- Boca Spring30 km (18 mi) · reservable
- Boca Campground30 km (19 mi) · reservable
- Boca Rest Campground30 km (19 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Washoe Lake?
What time is golden hour at Washoe Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Washoe Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Washoe Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Washoe Lake?
How far is Washoe Lake from Carson City?
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.