Lake Texoma is a lake in Bryan County, Oklahoma. It sits roughly 6.8 km (4.2 mi) WSW of Colbert.
Lake Texoma is one of the largest reservoirs in the United States, the 12th-largest US Army Corps of Engineers' (USACE) lake, and the largest in USACE Tulsa District. Lake Texoma is formed by Denison Dam on the Red River in Bryan County, Oklahoma, and Grayson County, Texas, about 726 miles (1,168 km) upstream from the mouth of the river. It is located at the confluence of the Red and Washita Rivers. The project was completed in 1944. The damsite is about 5 miles (8.0 km) northwest of Denison, Texas, and 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Durant, Oklahoma. Lake Texoma is the most developed and most popular lake within the USACE Tulsa District, attracting around 6 million visitors a year. Oklahoma has more of the lake within its boundaries than Texas.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Texoma”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Texoma the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:31 AM | 90° E | 7:38 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:17 AM | 61° ENE | 8:41 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 24m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:15 AM | 89° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:28 AM | 118° ESE | 5:22 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 54m |
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 | 7:05 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:09 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 09m |
| February | 6:46 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:36 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 7:13 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:11 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:34 PM | 7:59 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:31 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:24 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 5:59 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:49 PM | 13h 55m |
| June | 5:47 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:53 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 23m |
| July | 5:59 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:03 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 11m |
| August | 6:23 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 25m |
| September | 6:45 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:43 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:34 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 7:07 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 6:33 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 25m |
| December | 6:57 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:48 PM | 9h 55m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Texoma, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 27° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:05 AM – 5:45 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:17 AM – 6:07 AM | 1.8 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:15 AM – 5:25 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 12:17 AM – 4:47 AM | 4.5 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:23 PM – 4:23 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:19 PM – 2:59 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:45 PM – 1:05 AM | 3.3 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:58 PM – 10:58 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:16 PM – 8:56 PM | 0.7 | 17° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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 ≈ 20.86 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 38% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (57%). August 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 | 80 | 84 | 87 | 96 | 100 | 106 | 113 | 113 | 108 | 96 | 89 | 81 |
| Low °F | 6 | 13 | 15 | 28 | 37 | 56 | 62 | 59 | 48 | 27 | 19 | 9 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 5.0 | 3.8 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 2.6 | 3.0 |
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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Texoma, closest first.
State Park
Ghost Town
State Park
National Wildlife RefugeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Damsite Texas1.8 km (1.1 mi) · reservable
- Burns Run East2.2 km (1.4 mi) · reservable
- Burns Run West3.6 km (2.2 mi) · reservable
- Preston Bend8.9 km (5.6 mi) · reservable
- Platter Flats10.2 km (6.3 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Texoma?
What time is golden hour at Lake Texoma?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Texoma?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Texoma?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Texoma?
How far is Lake Texoma from Colbert?
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.