Lake Inman is a lake in McPherson County, Kansas at about 441 m (1,447 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 5.1 km (3.2 mi) ENE of Inman.
Lake Inman is a small lake in McPherson County, Kansas, United States. It is located 2.5 miles (4.0 km) northeast of the city of Inman. With a surface area of approximately 0.25 square miles (0.65 km2), it is the largest natural lake in the state. It was named for frontiersman and author Henry Inman, who wrote articles about fishing that prompted Kansas legislation. Lake Inman is part of the McPherson Valley Wetlands, a disconnected complex of wetlands important for migrating waterfowl.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Inman”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Inman the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:35 AM | 90° E | 7:43 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:09 AM | 59° ENE | 8:58 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 50m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:19 AM | 89° E | 7:30 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:45 AM | 120° ESE | 5:15 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 30m |
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 | 7:18 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:27 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:04 PM | 9h 48m |
| February | 6:55 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:37 PM | 10h 47m |
| March | 7:17 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:18 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:05 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:29 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:31 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:51 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 15m |
| June | 5:36 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:47 AM | 8:17 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:28 PM | 14h 49m |
| July | 5:50 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:59 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:25 PM | 14h 34m |
| August | 6:18 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:54 PM | 13h 40m |
| September | 6:47 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:48 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:07 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:14 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:16 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:21 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:45 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:48 PM | 10h 07m |
| December | 7:12 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 31m |
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 Inman, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:28 AM – 5:48 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:36 AM – 6:06 AM | 1.5 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:41 AM – 5:11 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:41 AM – 4:31 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:53 PM – 4:03 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:46 PM – 2:46 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:05 PM – 12:45 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 9:10 PM – 10:40 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:22 PM – 8:42 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.54 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ 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 40% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (58%). 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 | 81 | 87 | 94 | 101 | 110 | 115 | 114 | 109 | 96 | 84 | 69 |
| Low °F | -8 | -5 | -1 | 17 | 30 | 48 | 54 | 50 | 39 | 21 | 10 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 1.2 | 1.9 | 3.0 | 4.9 | 4.4 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 1.1 | 1.2 |
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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Inman?
What time is golden hour at Lake Inman?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Inman?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Inman?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Inman?
How far is Lake Inman from Inman?
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.