Located in Kootenai County, Idaho, Lake Hayden is a lake at about 683 m (2,241 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 5.8 km (3.6 mi) E of Hayden.
Lake Hayden, also known as Hayden Lake, is located Kootenai County, Idaho, United States. It is one of several natural lakes in the northern Idaho region. The lake is part of the Spokane Valley–Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer. Its shoreline is heavily populated with homes and it has limited public access. There are four boat launches, three of them public. Originally known as Lake Hayden, it is now more commonly known as Hayden Lake, to match the eponymous city located on the lakes shores.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Hayden”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Hayden the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:51 AM | 89° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:49 AM | 53° NE | 8:50 PM | 308° NW | 66° | 16h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:34 AM | 89° E | 6:46 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:34 AM | 125° SE | 3:58 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 24m |
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 | 6:57 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:22 AM | 3:32 PM | 4:22 PM | 4:57 PM | 8h 51m |
| February | 6:22 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:42 PM | 10h 16m |
| March | 6:30 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:42 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:26 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:40 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 38m |
| May | 4:33 AM | 5:10 AM | 5:55 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:55 PM | 15h 09m |
| June | 4:08 AM | 4:49 AM | 5:37 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:29 PM | 15h 59m |
| July | 4:26 AM | 5:05 AM | 5:52 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:21 PM | 15h 38m |
| August | 5:09 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:19 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 18m |
| September | 5:54 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:20 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:32 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:35 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:18 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:31 PM | 10h 54m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:41 AM | 3:24 PM | 4:11 PM | 4:45 PM | 9h 18m |
| December | 6:54 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:23 AM | 3:03 PM | 3:56 PM | 4:32 PM | 8h 26m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Hayden, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 13° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), 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 | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 3:22 AM – 3:52 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:23 AM – 2:43 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:57 PM – 1:37 AM | 1.7 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:26 PM – 12:36 AM | 1.2 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:06 PM – 10:36 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.4 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 30% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (80%). August is the warmest month and December 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 | 49 | 54 | 65 | 79 | 87 | 101 | 100 | 105 | 94 | 85 | 61 | 48 |
| Low °F | -20 | -19 | -10 | 9 | 23 | 32 | 38 | 38 | 22 | 2 | -18 | -19 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.1 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 3.2 | 5.0 | 4.9 |
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
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Hayden, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Mokins Bay Campground3.7 km (2.3 mi) · reservable
- Honeysuckle Campground17.9 km (11.1 mi) · reservable
- Beauty Creek Campground18.4 km (11.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Hayden?
What time is golden hour at Lake Hayden?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Hayden?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Hayden?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Hayden?
How far is Lake Hayden from Hayden?
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.