Field notes · 2026 estimate
When to see peak color at Sheldon Lake State Park
Peak fall color is predicted around November 12. Plan for the strongest viewing window from November 7 to November 17.
- Predicted peak
- November 12
- Best window
- November 7 – November 17
- Confidence range
- ±5 days
- Color season
- October 30 – November 25
The prediction comes from 14 years of fall color records at this spot, checked against what observers on the ground saw. Where state foliage spotters report peak (New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Missouri), it has landed inside our ±5-day window about two years in three. An unusual summer or autumn can still move it further. Explore fall color around Houston and across Texas.
That is 4 days later than usual (November 8): the six weeks to October 24 ran 3.3°F warmer than the 2001–2025 average, and a warmer run before peak delays the color. This will settle about ten days before peak, as the weather comes in.
Fall color at Sheldon Lake State Park begins as early as October 30 in some spots and continues through November 25 in others — a 26-day window where you can catch peak color somewhere in the area regardless of when you visit.
Nearby locales