Deep Creek Lake — a lake in Garrett County, Maryland — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 11.4 km (7.1 mi) N of Oakland.
Deep Creek Lake is an artificial reservoir in the U.S. state of Maryland. It has an area of 3,900 acres (16 km2), a shoreline length of 69 miles (111 km), and a volume of 106,000 acre⋅ft (0.131 km3). The lake is home to a wide variety of aquatic life, such as freshwater fish and aquatic birds. Along with the nearby Wisp Ski Resort, the lake is a popular regional vacation and tourism destination. Deep Creek Lake State Park is on the northeast side. There is also the Deep Creek Lake Natural Resources Management Area.From the Wikipedia article “Deep Creek Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Deep Creek Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:22 AM | 90° E | 7:30 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:51 AM | 58° ENE | 8:49 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 58m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:06 AM | 89° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:35 AM | 120° ESE | 4:58 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 22m |
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 | 7:07 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:48 PM | 9h 41m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:17 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:22 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 7:03 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:52 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:13 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:34 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 21m |
| June | 5:18 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:31 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:20 PM | 14h 57m |
| July | 5:32 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:43 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 42m |
| August | 6:02 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 44m |
| September | 6:32 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:55 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:40 PM | 7:07 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 01m |
| December | 7:01 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 24m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 Deep Creek Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:25 AM – 5:35 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:35 AM – 5:55 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:32 AM – 5:02 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:35 AM – 4:05 AM | 3.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:49 PM – 3:49 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:41 PM – 2:21 AM | 3.7 | 22° | S → SW |
| August | 9:56 PM – 12:16 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 9:00 PM – 10:20 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:10 PM – 8:20 PM | 0.2 | 12° | 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 ≈ 21.6 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ 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 54% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (78%). 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 | 66 | 70 | 77 | 85 | 87 | 90 | 97 | 94 | 93 | 89 | 74 | 72 |
| Low °F | -10 | -7 | -8 | 19 | 23 | 36 | 45 | 44 | 34 | 20 | 6 | 2 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 2.9 | 3.4 |
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
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Deep Creek Lake, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
State Park
State ParkWaterfall
Mountain Pass
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Mill Run Recreation Area23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Howell Run Picnic Area25 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Robert W Craig26 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Somerfield North Recreation Area27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Deep Creek Lake?
What time is golden hour at Deep Creek Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Deep Creek Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Deep Creek Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Deep Creek Lake?
How far is Deep Creek Lake from Oakland?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.