Lake of the Ozarks is a lake in Miller County, Missouri. It sits roughly 1.4 km (0.9 mi) ENE of Lake Ozark.
Lake of the Ozarks is a reservoir created by impounding the Osage River in the northern part of the Ozarks in central Missouri. Parts of three smaller tributaries to the Osage are included in the impoundment: the Niangua River, Grandglaize Creek, and Gravois Creek. The lake has a surface area of 54,000 acres (220 km2) and 1,150 miles (1,850 km) of shoreline. The main channel of the Osage Arm stretches 92 miles (148 km) from one end to the other. The total drainage area is over 14,000 square miles (36,000 km2). The lake's serpentine shape has earned it the nickname "the Missouri Dragon", which has, in turn, inspired the names of local institutions such as the Magic Dragon Street Meet.From the Wikipedia article “Lake of the Ozarks”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake of the Ozarks 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) | 7:15 AM | 90° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:48 AM | 59° ENE | 8:38 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 49m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:59 AM | 89° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:24 AM | 120° ESE | 4:54 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 | 6:58 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:43 PM | 9h 48m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 48m |
| March | 6:56 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:08 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:31 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 14m |
| June | 5:16 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 48m |
| July | 5:29 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 34m |
| August | 5:58 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 40m |
| September | 6:26 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:47 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:34 PM | 7:01 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:24 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:28 PM | 10h 07m |
| December | 6:51 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 32m |
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 of the Ozarks, 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 | 5:07 AM – 5:27 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:15 AM – 5:45 AM | 1.5 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:20 AM – 4:50 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:20 AM – 4:10 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:32 PM – 3:42 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:25 PM – 2:25 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:44 PM – 12:24 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:49 PM – 10:19 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:01 PM – 8:21 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 ≈ 21.56 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 43% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (63%). 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 | 76 | 82 | 89 | 93 | 107 | 110 | 112 | 102 | 93 | 81 | 72 |
| Low °F | -10 | -7 | 0 | 20 | 31 | 47 | 54 | 49 | 38 | 18 | 8 | -9 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.2 | 2.3 | 3.4 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 2.8 | 2.3 |
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
- After sunset, long exposures smooth wind ripples into glass.
- 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 Lake of the Ozarks, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake of the Ozarks?
What time is golden hour at Lake of the Ozarks?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake of the Ozarks?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake of the Ozarks?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake of the Ozarks?
How far is Lake of the Ozarks from Lake Ozark?
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.