Located in Dallas County, Texas, White Rock Lake is a lake at about 140 m (459 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Highland Park, about 6.5 km (4.0 mi) away (White Rock Lake lies E of town).
White Rock Lake is a reservoir located in northeast Dallas, Texas, United States. The lake was formed by damming White Rock Creek, which today widens into the lake before continuing south out of the spillway and emptying into the Trinity River. The lake covers 1,254 acres (5.07 km2) in the east Dallas community.From the Wikipedia article “White Rock Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At White Rock Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (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) | 7:31 AM | 90° E | 7:39 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:20 AM | 61° ENE | 8:39 PM | 299° WNW | 81° | 14h 19m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:16 AM | 89° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:26 AM | 118° ESE | 5:25 PM | 242° WSW | 34° | 9h 59m |
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 | 7:03 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 13m |
| February | 6:46 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:38 PM | 11h 02m |
| March | 7:13 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:11 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:00 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:32 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:31 AM | 7:24 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:23 PM | 12h 59m |
| May | 6:02 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:47 PM | 13h 51m |
| June | 5:51 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:55 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 18m |
| July | 6:02 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:06 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 07m |
| August | 6:25 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 22m |
| September | 6:47 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:35 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 7:07 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:20 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 6:32 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 29m |
| December | 6:56 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 00m |
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 White Rock Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 28° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition), 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 | 4:56 AM – 5:46 AM | 0.8 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:07 AM – 6:07 AM | 2.0 | 25° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:03 AM – 5:23 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 12:04 AM – 4:44 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:19 PM – 4:29 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:15 PM – 3:05 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:43 PM – 1:03 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 8:58 PM – 11:08 PM | 2.2 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:17 PM – 9:07 PM | 0.8 | 17° | 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.54 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 38% average cloud cover) and February 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 | 83 | 83 | 89 | 96 | 101 | 107 | 112 | 111 | 109 | 100 | 90 | 82 |
| Low °F | 15 | 15 | 16 | 31 | 40 | 58 | 65 | 60 | 50 | 30 | 22 | 14 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 4.4 | 2.5 | 3.1 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of White Rock Lake, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph White Rock Lake?
What time is golden hour at White Rock Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at White Rock Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from White Rock Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at White Rock Lake?
How far is White Rock Lake from Highland Park?
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.