Warm Lake — a lake in Valley County, Idaho at about 1,616 m (5,302 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 45 km (28 mi) SE of McCall.
Warm Lake is a 640-acre (260 ha) lake in Idaho, United States. It is located 26 miles (42 km) east of Cascade in Valley County, at 5,298 feet (1,615 m) above sea level. It is the largest natural lake in Boise National Forest. The lake's abundance of wildlife makes it very popular for camping, fishing, and hunting. Large mammals present in the area include moose, mule deer, black bear, and elk. Large birds present in the area include bald eagles and osprey. The lake contains rainbow, brook, lake, and bull trout as well as mountain whitefish and Kokanee salmon. There are two lodges at the lake, North Shore Lodge, which was established in 1936, and Warm Lake Lodge, which was established in 1911, and is home to the Banshee Irish Pub, the only medieval Irish Pub in America. The Forest Service operates three campgrounds around the lake.From the Wikipedia article “Warm Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Warm Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:47 AM | 90° E | 7:55 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:58 AM | 55° NE | 9:32 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 34m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:31 AM | 89° E | 7:42 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:17 AM | 123° ESE | 5:06 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 48m |
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 | 7:44 AM | 8:17 AM | 9:03 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:29 PM | 6:01 PM | 9h 12m |
| February | 7:14 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:25 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:42 PM | 10h 28m |
| March | 7:27 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:35 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:18 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:29 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:38 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:58 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 5:42 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:58 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:38 PM | 14h 49m |
| June | 5:21 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:42 AM | 8:46 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:07 PM | 15h 33m |
| July | 5:37 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:56 AM | 8:43 PM | 9:26 PM | 10:02 PM | 15h 14m |
| August | 6:14 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 04m |
| September | 6:53 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:01 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:25 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:29 AM | 7:59 AM | 8:38 AM | 6:20 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:29 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 7:09 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:24 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:48 PM | 9h 36m |
| December | 7:40 AM | 8:14 AM | 9:02 AM | 4:16 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:37 PM | 8h 50m |
Local time (America/Boise), 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 Warm Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:47 AM – 6:07 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:45 AM – 5:05 AM | 1.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:43 AM – 4:03 AM | 2.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:02 AM – 3:22 AM | 3.3 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:46 PM – 2:06 AM | 2.3 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:45 PM – 12:05 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:36 PM – 10:06 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.91 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 March as the cloudiest (70%). July 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 | 35 | 40 | 57 | 69 | 80 | 93 | 95 | 93 | 90 | 81 | 61 | 43 |
| Low °F | -23 | -22 | -15 | -1 | 13 | 24 | 31 | 28 | 22 | 2 | -16 | -20 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.7 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 2.8 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 2.2 | 3.5 | 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 Warm Lake, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Picnic Point (Id)565 m · reservable
- Shoreline928 m · reservable
- Warm Lake1.2 km (0.8 mi) · reservable
- Stolle Meadows Cabin6.0 km (3.7 mi) · reservable
- Poverty Flat20.0 km (12.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Warm Lake?
What time is golden hour at Warm Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Warm Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Warm Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Warm Lake?
How far is Warm Lake from McCall?
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.