Lake Lyndon B. Johnson — a lake in Burnet County, Texas — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Cottonwood Shores, about 1.3 km (0.8 mi) away (Lake Lyndon B. Johnson lies W of town).
Lake Lyndon B. Johnson (more commonly referred to as Lake LBJ and originally named Lake Granite Shoals) is a reservoir on the Colorado River in the Texas Hill Country about 45 miles northwest of Austin. The reservoir was formed in 1950 by the construction of Granite Shoals Dam by the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA). The Colorado River and the Llano River meet in the northern portion of the lake at Kingsland.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Lyndon B. Johnson”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Lyndon B. Johnson 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 36° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:38 AM | 90° E | 7:45 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:32 AM | 62° ENE | 8:40 PM | 298° WNW | 83° | 14h 07m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:22 AM | 89° E | 7:31 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:27 AM | 117° ESE | 5:37 PM | 243° WSW | 36° | 10h 10m |
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 | 7:06 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:21 PM | 10h 23m |
| February | 6:50 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 07m |
| March | 7:20 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:16 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:06 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:42 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:39 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:26 PM | 12h 55m |
| May | 6:13 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:48 PM | 13h 42m |
| June | 6:04 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:07 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 07m |
| July | 6:15 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:05 PM | 13h 56m |
| August | 6:36 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:42 PM | 13h 16m |
| September | 6:54 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:50 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:05 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 7:12 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:09 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 27m |
| November | 6:35 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 37m |
| December | 6:57 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 11m |
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 Lyndon B. Johnson, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.5 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 5 (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 | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:53 AM – 5:53 AM | 1.0 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:02 AM – 6:22 AM | 2.3 | 27° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:05 AM – 5:35 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 12:02 AM – 5:02 AM | 5.0 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:15 PM – 4:45 AM | 6.5 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:12 PM – 3:22 AM | 5.2 | 31° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:43 PM – 1:23 AM | 3.7 | 31° | S → SW |
| September | 9:01 PM – 11:21 PM | 2.3 | 28° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:23 PM – 9:23 PM | 1.0 | 19° | 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.41 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 38% average cloud cover) and May 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 | 85 | 92 | 92 | 101 | 103 | 107 | 111 | 110 | 107 | 100 | 90 | 85 |
| Low °F | 18 | 15 | 19 | 31 | 41 | 58 | 62 | 62 | 48 | 29 | 23 | 18 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.9 | 1.7 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 4.2 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 2.0 | 1.6 |
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
- 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 Lake Lyndon B. Johnson, closest first.
Dark Sky Place
Mountain Peak
Natural Arch
Cave
Mountain Peak
State Park
LakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Lyndon B. Johnson?
What time is golden hour at Lake Lyndon B. Johnson?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Lyndon B. Johnson?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Lyndon B. Johnson?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Lyndon B. Johnson?
How far is Lake Lyndon B. Johnson from Cottonwood Shores?
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.