Located in Smith County, Texas, Lake Palestine is a lake. The nearest town is Berryville, about 10.7 km (6.6 mi) away (Lake Palestine lies N of town).
Lake Palestine is a freshwater reservoir in northeast Texas, created for industrial, municipal, and recreational purposes.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Palestine”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Palestine the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 81° in summer but only 34° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:27 AM | 90° E | 7:34 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:17 AM | 62° ENE | 8:32 PM | 299° WNW | 81° | 14h 16m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:11 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 118° ESE | 5:22 PM | 243° WSW | 34° | 10h 02m |
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 | 6:57 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 16m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:34 PM | 11h 03m |
| March | 7:09 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:55 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:28 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:17 PM | 12h 58m |
| May | 5:58 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 48m |
| June | 5:48 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:31 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 15m |
| July | 5:59 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:30 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 04m |
| August | 6:21 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 21m |
| September | 6:42 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:54 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:15 PM | 11h 25m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 31m |
| December | 6:49 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 03m |
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 Palestine, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 29° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:51 AM – 5:41 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:02 AM – 6:02 AM | 2.0 | 25° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:57 AM – 5:17 AM | 3.3 | 29° | SE → S |
| May | 11:57 PM – 4:47 AM | 4.8 | 29° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:12 PM – 4:32 AM | 6.3 | 29° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:08 PM – 3:08 AM | 5.0 | 29° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:37 PM – 1:07 AM | 3.5 | 29° | S → SW |
| September | 8:52 PM – 11:02 PM | 2.2 | 26° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:12 PM – 9:02 PM | 0.8 | 18° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.31 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 40% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (60%). 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 | 80 | 88 | 92 | 99 | 107 | 111 | 112 | 108 | 99 | 87 | 80 |
| Low °F | 12 | 15 | 16 | 30 | 39 | 58 | 64 | 61 | 50 | 32 | 22 | 14 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 2.8 | 2.6 | 3.2 | 4.5 | 3.0 | 3.7 |
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.
- 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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Palestine?
What time is golden hour at Lake Palestine?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Palestine?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Palestine?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Palestine?
How far is Lake Palestine from Berryville?
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.