Located in Garland County, Arkansas, Lake Ouachita is a lake. The nearest town is Piney, about 22 km (14 mi) away (Lake Ouachita lies WNW of town).
Lake Ouachita (Pronounced WAH-shi-tah) is a reservoir created by the damming of the Ouachita River by Blakely Mountain Dam (34°34′21″N 93°11′39″W). Blakely Mountain Dam was built by the United States Army Corps of Engineers from 1948 to 1953 for hydroelectric power, recreation, water supply and wildlife conservation. The dam is 231 feet (70 m) tall, 1,100 feet (340 m) long at the crest, and is capable of 75 megawatts. The lake is located near Hot Springs, Arkansas. Lake Ouachita is the largest lake completely in Arkansas, as the larger Bull Shoals Lake extends into Missouri. Lake Ouachita has over 690 miles (1,110 km) of shoreline and over 66,324 acres (26,840 ha) of water. It is completely surrounded by the Ouachita National Forest. Lake Ouachita is located near two other lakes, Lake Hamilton and Lake Catherine. These three lakes, DeGray Lake to the near south, and the thermal...From the Wikipedia article “Lake Ouachita”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Ouachita 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 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:18 AM | 90° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:02 AM | 61° ENE | 8:30 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 29m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:02 AM | 89° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 118° ESE | 5:07 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 50m |
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 | 7:21 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 05m |
| February | 6:34 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:22 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 57m |
| March | 7:00 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:46 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:16 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 5:44 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 58m |
| June | 5:31 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 28m |
| July | 5:43 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 15m |
| August | 6:08 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 28m |
| September | 6:32 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:47 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:06 PM | 6:40 PM | 7:05 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:21 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:37 PM | 10h 22m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 51m |
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 Lake Ouachita, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 27° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:51 AM – 5:31 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:05 AM – 5:55 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:03 AM – 5:03 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 12:07 AM – 4:27 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:13 PM – 4:13 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:09 PM – 2:49 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:34 PM – 12:44 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:46 PM – 10:46 PM | 2.0 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:03 PM – 8:43 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.69 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 42% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (62%). July 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 | 72 | 75 | 81 | 88 | 96 | 108 | 108 | 113 | 105 | 94 | 85 | 75 |
| Low °F | -1 | 4 | 11 | 25 | 34 | 53 | 55 | 53 | 44 | 29 | 18 | 11 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.4 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 5.9 | 6.3 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.7 | 4.2 | 4.7 |
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.
- 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 Lake Ouachita, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Brady Mountain6.5 km (4.0 mi) · reservable
- Brady Mountain Day-Use6.5 km (4.1 mi) · reservable
- Crystal Springs (Ar)6.7 km (4.1 mi) · reservable
- Crystal Springs (Ar) Day-Use6.7 km (4.2 mi) · reservable
- Charlton Recreation Area10.3 km (6.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Ouachita?
What time is golden hour at Lake Ouachita?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Ouachita?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Ouachita?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Ouachita?
How far is Lake Ouachita from Piney?
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.