Live cameras in Clearlake, United States

Clearlake is a small city in Lake County, California, on the southeastern shore of Clear Lake, about a hundred miles north of San Francisco. It takes its name from the lake, the largest natural freshwater lake lying entirely within California, and it sits at about 1,400 feet above sea level. The 2020 census counted about 16,700 residents. The post office opened in 1923 under the name Konocti, the community was later known as Clearlake Highlands, and it became the City of Clearlake when it incorporated in 1981.

The Pomo people lived around the lake for thousands of years and named many of its landmarks, including Mount Konocti, the old volcano that rises above the western shore. Fishing for largemouth bass, boating and lakeside parks draw visitors, and the surrounding hills are dotted with vineyards.

Highways around the lake

Caltrans, the state highway department, provides these pictures through CWWP2, its public camera list, which QuickMap draws on as well. Each camera posts a still image every few minutes rather than live video. State Route 53 runs through Clearlake, linking Lower Lake in the south with State Route 20 near Clearlake Oaks, and the cameras watch the rural highways around the lake that locals use to reach the Bay Area, Sacramento and the coast. In this hilly county they are especially helpful for checking smoke, fog, rain and winter snow on the higher passes.

Lake County keeps Pacific Time. The climate is Mediterranean, with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters, and the gap between afternoon heat and night chill can be large. Snow is rare in town, though it sometimes dusts the surrounding ridges. Late summer and fall are fire season in Lake County, which has seen several large wildfires, so the cameras can be a quick way to see whether skies are hazy. Sunrise over the lake comes early in summer.

Lower Lake, with its small historic downtown, is a few miles south, and Anderson Marsh State Historic Park protects wetlands and Pomo heritage sites between the two towns.

Sources: Clearlake, California - Wikipedia · California State Route 53 - Wikipedia · Caltrans QuickMap.