Located in Jasper County, Texas, Sam Rayburn Reservoir is a lake. It sits roughly 6.7 km (4.2 mi) W of Sam Rayburn.
Sam Rayburn Reservoir is a reservoir in the United States in Deep East Texas, 70 miles (110 km) north of Beaumont. The reservoir is fed by the Angelina River, the major tributary of the Neches River. The Reservoir is upstream of the Big Thicket National Preserve. The reservoir's capacity is 3,997,600 acre-feet (4.9310×109 m3), and is the largest lake wholly within the state of Texas. It is the ninth largest reservoir in the United States. Sam Rayburn Reservoir is operated by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth district.From the Wikipedia article “Sam Rayburn Reservoir”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sam Rayburn Reservoir 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 36° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:21 AM | 90° E | 7:28 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:14 AM | 62° ENE | 8:24 PM | 298° WNW | 82° | 14h 10m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:05 AM | 89° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:11 AM | 117° ESE | 5:19 PM | 243° WSW | 36° | 10h 08m |
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 | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 21m |
| February | 6:34 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:29 PM | 11h 06m |
| March | 7:03 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:49 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:24 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:10 PM | 12h 56m |
| May | 5:55 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 44m |
| June | 5:45 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 09m |
| July | 5:56 AM | 6:24 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:49 PM | 13h 58m |
| August | 6:18 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 17m |
| September | 6:37 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:10 PM | 11h 26m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:19 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:45 PM | 10h 35m |
| December | 6:41 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:43 PM | 10h 09m |
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 Sam Rayburn Reservoir, 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:35 AM – 5:35 AM | 1.0 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:45 AM – 6:05 AM | 2.3 | 27° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:49 AM – 5:19 AM | 3.5 | 30° | SE → S |
| May | 11:47 PM – 4:47 AM | 5.0 | 30° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:00 PM – 4:30 AM | 6.5 | 30° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:57 PM – 3:07 AM | 5.2 | 30° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:27 PM – 1:07 AM | 3.7 | 30° | S → SW |
| September | 8:45 PM – 11:05 PM | 2.3 | 27° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:06 PM – 9:06 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.73 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 40% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (63%). 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 | 78 | 82 | 89 | 95 | 102 | 107 | 108 | 110 | 105 | 97 | 89 | 81 |
| Low °F | 17 | 18 | 22 | 31 | 41 | 60 | 64 | 59 | 47 | 34 | 22 | 22 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 4.9 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 4.1 | 4.5 |
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
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Sam Rayburn Reservoir, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Ebenezer Park2.0 km (1.3 mi) · reservable
- Twin Dikes4.6 km (2.9 mi) · reservable
- Rayburn5.1 km (3.1 mi) · reservable
- Mill Creek (Texas)13.8 km (8.6 mi) · reservable
- Boykin Springs Pavilion15.5 km (9.6 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sam Rayburn Reservoir?
What time is golden hour at Sam Rayburn Reservoir?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sam Rayburn Reservoir?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sam Rayburn Reservoir?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sam Rayburn Reservoir?
How far is Sam Rayburn Reservoir from Sam Rayburn?
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.