Lake Houston is a lake in Harris County, Texas. It sits roughly 5.0 km (3.1 mi) ESE of Atascocita.
Lake Houston is a reservoir on the San Jacinto River, 15 miles (24 km) northeast of downtown Houston, Texas, United States. The reservoir is the primary municipal water supply for the city of Houston.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Houston”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Houston the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 298° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 83° in summer but only 37° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:25 AM | 90° E | 7:32 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:21 AM | 62° ENE | 8:25 PM | 298° WNW | 83° | 14h 05m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:10 AM | 89° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:13 AM | 117° ESE | 5:26 PM | 243° WSW | 37° | 10h 13m |
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 | 6:52 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 26m |
| February | 6:37 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:34 PM | 11h 08m |
| March | 7:07 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:53 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:30 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:12 PM | 12h 54m |
| May | 6:02 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 39m |
| June | 5:53 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 04m |
| July | 6:03 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:51 PM | 13h 54m |
| August | 6:24 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 14m |
| September | 6:42 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 6:59 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:15 PM | 11h 28m |
| November | 6:21 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 39m |
| December | 6:43 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 14m |
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 Houston, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 31° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:41 AM – 5:31 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:49 AM – 6:09 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:52 AM – 5:22 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 11:49 PM – 4:49 AM | 5.0 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:01 PM – 4:41 AM | 6.7 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:58 PM – 3:18 AM | 5.3 | 31° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:30 PM – 1:10 AM | 3.7 | 31° | S → SW |
| September | 8:48 PM – 11:08 PM | 2.3 | 28° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:11 PM – 9:11 PM | 1.0 | 20° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| 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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.13 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 36% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 85 | 89 | 96 | 102 | 107 | 106 | 108 | 104 | 96 | 88 | 83 |
| Low °F | 19 | 20 | 25 | 35 | 45 | 64 | 67 | 64 | 53 | 38 | 28 | 24 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.5 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 4.3 | 5.1 | 4.7 | 5.3 | 5.5 | 4.8 | 3.6 | 3.6 |
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
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Houston, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Houston?
What time is golden hour at Lake Houston?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Houston?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Houston?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Houston?
How far is Lake Houston from Atascocita?
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.