Smithers Lake — a lake in Fort Bend County, Texas — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Greatwood, about 7.7 km (4.8 mi) away (Smithers Lake lies SSE of town).
Smithers Lake is an artificial impoundment in Fort Bend County, Texas, collecting water from Dry Creek. It is located south of the Brazos River, nine miles (14 km) southeast of Richmond, and is completely within the city limits of Thompsons. The project is owned and operated by NRG Energy as the cooling-water supply for the WA Parish Generating Station. It was previously owned by the Houston Lighting and Power Company. Construction was started on August 22, 1956, and was completed on July 1, 1957. Water had already been impounded in a small lake, and the date for beginning of impoundment in the new lake was October 15, 1957.From the Wikipedia article “Smithers Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Smithers Lake 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 84° in summer but only 37° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:27 AM | 90° E | 7:34 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:24 AM | 62° ENE | 8:26 PM | 298° WNW | 84° | 14h 02m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:12 AM | 89° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:14 AM | 117° ESE | 5:29 PM | 243° WSW | 37° | 10h 15m |
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 | 6:53 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 28m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:37 PM | 11h 10m |
| March | 7:10 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:05 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:55 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:32 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:29 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:14 PM | 12h 53m |
| May | 6:05 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 38m |
| June | 5:56 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 01m |
| July | 6:07 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 51m |
| August | 6:27 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 13m |
| September | 6:44 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:17 PM | 11h 29m |
| November | 6:22 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:54 PM | 10h 41m |
| December | 6:44 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 16m |
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 Smithers Lake, 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 32° 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 | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:43 AM – 5:33 AM | 0.8 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:51 AM – 6:11 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:53 AM – 5:33 AM | 3.7 | 32° | SE → S |
| May | 11:49 PM – 4:59 AM | 5.2 | 32° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:01 PM – 4:41 AM | 6.7 | 32° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:58 PM – 3:18 AM | 5.3 | 32° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:30 PM – 1:20 AM | 3.8 | 32° | S → SW |
| September | 8:50 PM – 11:10 PM | 2.3 | 29° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:13 PM – 9:13 PM | 1.0 | 20° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| 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 ≈ 19.81 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
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Smithers Lake, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Smithers Lake?
What time is golden hour at Smithers Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Smithers Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Smithers Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Smithers Lake?
How far is Smithers Lake from Greatwood?
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.