Lake Waiau — a lake in Hawaii County, Hawaii at about 3,970 m (13,025 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 30 km (19 mi) S of Honoka‘a.
Lake Waiau is a high-elevation lake located at 3,970 m (13,020 ft) above sea level on Mauna Kea, on the island of Hawaiʻi. It is one of the highest lakes in the United States. After the evaporation of Ka Wai o Pele in 2018 and the short-lived lake in Halemaʻumaʻu crater in 2020, Lake Waiau is the only lake on Hawaiʻi Island and one of very few lakes at all in the state of Hawaiʻi. It is relatively small, only about 100 m across, and varies in size as the water level rises and falls. At high water levels a small outlet stream appears at the northwest end, but it is absorbed into the ground after a short distance. The name means "swirling water" in Hawaiian, though it is usually rather placid. It usually freezes in winter, but aquatic insects such as midges and beetles can be found breeding in the water.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Waiau”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Waiau the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 65° (ENE) at the June solstice and 115° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 295° (WNW) in June to 245° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 86° in summer but only 47° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:27 AM | 90° E | 6:34 PM | 270° W | 70° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:45 AM | 65° ENE | 7:04 PM | 295° WNW | 86° | 13h 20m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:12 AM | 89° E | 6:19 PM | 271° W | 70° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:53 AM | 115° ESE | 5:49 PM | 245° WSW | 47° | 10h 56m |
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 | 6:37 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:27 PM | 11h 04m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:22 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 30m |
| March | 6:09 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:00 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:54 PM | 12h 01m |
| April | 5:42 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:34 AM | 6:11 PM | 6:40 PM | 7:03 PM | 12h 36m |
| May | 5:23 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:15 PM | 13h 04m |
| June | 5:19 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:27 PM | 13h 19m |
| July | 5:28 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:29 PM | 13h 13m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:33 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:14 PM | 12h 48m |
| September | 5:48 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:39 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:48 PM | 12h 16m |
| October | 5:55 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:47 AM | 5:30 PM | 5:59 PM | 6:22 PM | 11h 42m |
| November | 6:08 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:03 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:07 PM | 11h 12m |
| December | 6:26 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:22 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 56m |
Local time (Pacific/Honolulu), 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 Waiau, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 41° 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 | — | 6° | — |
| February | 4:06 AM – 5:36 AM | 1.5 | 27° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:15 AM – 5:15 AM | 3.0 | 38° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:16 AM – 4:46 AM | 4.5 | 41° | SE → S |
| May | 10:11 PM – 4:21 AM | 6.2 | 41° | SE → SSW |
| June | 8:27 PM – 4:17 AM | 7.8 | 41° | SE → SW |
| July | 8:27 PM – 2:47 AM | 6.3 | 41° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:09 PM – 12:49 AM | 4.7 | 41° | S → SW |
| September | 7:39 PM – 10:49 PM | 3.2 | 38° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:13 PM – 8:53 PM | 1.7 | 27° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -17° | — |
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 ≈ 21.85 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show January as the clearest month (about 50% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (62%). August is the warmest month and February 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 | 79 | 77 | 78 | 76 | 79 | 81 | 80 | 83 | 82 | 79 | 78 | 76 |
| Low °F | 50 | 46 | 48 | 52 | 53 | 55 | 56 | 56 | 56 | 56 | 53 | 50 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.6 | 6.6 | 8.6 | 7.7 | 5.4 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 5.4 | 4.8 | 5.3 | 6.7 | 6.6 |
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
- 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.
- Expose for the brighter sky; reflections are typically half a stop to a stop darker.
- After sunset, long exposures smooth wind ripples into glass.
- 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 Waiau, closest first.
Mountain Peak
State Park
Volcano
Volcano
National Wildlife RefugeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Waiau?
What time is golden hour at Lake Waiau?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Waiau?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Waiau?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Waiau?
How far is Lake Waiau from Honoka‘a?
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.