Lake Nasworthy — a lake in Tom Green County, Texas at about 571 m (1,873 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is San Angelo, about 10.0 km (6.2 mi) away (Lake Nasworthy lies SSW of town).
Lake Nasworthy is a small municipal lake located in San Angelo, Texas. The lake is named for John R. Nasworthy, who sold the land where the lake is located to the city. The lake was built by West Texas Utilities Company in 1930 to provide municipal water to the city of San Angelo and surrounding areas.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Nasworthy”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Nasworthy 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 82° in summer but only 35° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:47 AM | 90° E | 7:54 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:39 AM | 62° ENE | 8:50 PM | 298° WNW | 82° | 14h 12m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:31 AM | 89° E | 7:40 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:38 AM | 117° ESE | 5:44 PM | 243° WSW | 35° | 10h 06m |
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 | 7:16 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:18 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:28 PM | 10h 20m |
| February | 7:00 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 05m |
| March | 7:29 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:25 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:15 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:49 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:47 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:36 PM | 12h 56m |
| May | 6:20 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:32 PM | 8:58 PM | 13h 45m |
| June | 6:10 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:13 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 11m |
| July | 6:21 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 00m |
| August | 6:43 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:41 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 18m |
| September | 7:03 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:59 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:14 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 7:21 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:18 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:36 PM | 11h 26m |
| November | 6:45 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 34m |
| December | 7:08 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:11 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 07m |
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 Nasworthy, 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 30° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:11 AM – 6:01 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:21 AM – 6:21 AM | 2.0 | 26° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:16 AM – 5:46 AM | 3.5 | 30° | SE → S |
| May | 12:15 AM – 5:05 AM | 4.8 | 30° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:28 PM – 4:58 AM | 6.5 | 30° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:25 PM – 3:25 AM | 5.0 | 30° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:54 PM – 1:24 AM | 3.5 | 30° | S → SW |
| September | 9:11 PM – 11:21 PM | 2.2 | 26° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:32 PM – 9:22 PM | 0.8 | 18° | 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 ≈ 20.45 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 (50%). 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 | 83 | 91 | 95 | 104 | 108 | 109 | 110 | 109 | 105 | 100 | 91 | 82 |
| Low °F | 17 | 11 | 18 | 29 | 37 | 56 | 62 | 60 | 46 | 24 | 20 | 14 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.8 | 1.1 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 1.3 | 0.8 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Nasworthy?
What time is golden hour at Lake Nasworthy?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Nasworthy?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Nasworthy?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Nasworthy?
How far is Lake Nasworthy from San Angelo?
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.