Top lakes
Island Lake
Favre Lake
Overland Lake
LakeSeitz Lake
Cold Lakes
Lamoille Lake
Liberty Lake
Castle Lake
Echo Lake
Griswold Lake
LakeVerdi Lake (Nevada)
LakeRobinson Lake
LakeNorth Furlong Lake
LakeHidden Lakes
Franklin Lake
Map
How to photograph lakes
Lakes reflect best in calm air — usually the first hour after sunrise, before breezes ripple the surface.
- 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.
- Expose for the brighter sky; reflections are typically half a stop to a stop darker.
Season: Autumn mornings bring mist and fall color; high-elevation lakes are usually ice-free only from early summer to mid-autumn.