Peoria Lake — a lake in Tazewell County, Illinois at about 136 m (446 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is North Peoria, about 3.0 km (1.9 mi) away (Peoria Lake lies SE of town).
Peoria Lake, sometimes called Lower Peoria Lake, is a section of the Illinois River between Peoria in Peoria County, Illinois and East Peoria in Tazewell County, Illinois. The oldest section of Peoria, the largest city on the river, lies at its shores. From a modern perspective, the lake runs from just south of the McClugage Bridge (US 24/US 150/War Memorial Drive) to the Murray Baker Bridge (Interstate 74). The larger Upper Peoria Lake flows into the lake on its north side, at approximately river mile 166.5.From the Wikipedia article “Peoria Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Peoria Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:02 AM | 90° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:28 AM | 58° ENE | 8:34 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 06m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:46 AM | 89° E | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 121° ESE | 4:35 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 15m |
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 | 6:51 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 35m |
| February | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 6:44 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:32 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:52 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:11 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 27m |
| June | 4:54 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:05 PM | 15h 04m |
| July | 5:08 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 49m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 49m |
| September | 6:12 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:16 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:37 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:42 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 56m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:00 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:03 PM | 9h 17m |
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 Peoria Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 8 (city 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:15 AM – 5:15 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:26 AM – 5:36 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:26 AM – 4:36 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:21 AM – 3:41 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:38 PM – 3:18 AM | 4.7 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:29 PM – 1:49 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:41 PM – 11:51 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:42 PM – 9:52 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:50 PM – 7:50 PM | 0.0 | 11° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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: 8 Bortle 8 — City sky. Only bright constellations are visible; the sky glows orange or white. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.13 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (69%). 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 | 65 | 68 | 80 | 83 | 93 | 107 | 108 | 104 | 102 | 90 | 77 | 70 |
| Low °F | -24 | -16 | -8 | 20 | 29 | 41 | 50 | 46 | 36 | 17 | 9 | -14 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.0 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 2.5 | 2.4 |
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
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Peoria Lake, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Peoria Lake?
What time is golden hour at Peoria Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Peoria Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Peoria Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Peoria Lake?
How far is Peoria Lake from North Peoria?
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.