Overland Lake — a lake in Elko County, Nevada at about 2,883 m (9,459 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Spring Creek, about 32 km (20 mi) away (Overland Lake lies SSE of town).
Overland Lake is a glacial tarn in the Ruby Mountains of Elko County in the northeastern part of the state of Nevada. It is located at the head of Overland Canyon at approximately 40°27.6'N and 115°27.4'W, and at an elevation of 9,450 feet (2,880 meters). It has an area of approximately 15 acres (6.1 hectares), and a depth of up to 55 feet (17 m). The Ruby Crest National Recreation Trail runs along the eastern shore of the lake. Overland Lake is the principal source of Overland Creek, which after exiting the mountains flows into Ruby Valley. It was originally named Marian Lake by geologist Clarence King, after his sister, and was the subject of several famous paintings and photographs. This name, however, was lost, and the name of the lake became associated with the Overland Mail and Stage Route, which passed nearby.From the Wikipedia article “Overland Lake (Nevada)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Overland 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) | 6:46 AM | 90° E | 6:54 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:12 AM | 58° ENE | 8:16 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 04m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:30 AM | 89° E | 6:41 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:02 AM | 121° ESE | 4:19 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 17m |
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 | 6:34 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:46 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 36m |
| February | 6:08 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:14 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:45 PM | 10h 41m |
| March | 6:27 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:16 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:36 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:41 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:49 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 4:55 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:23 PM | 14h 26m |
| June | 4:39 AM | 5:12 AM | 5:53 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:48 PM | 15h 03m |
| July | 4:53 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 47m |
| August | 5:24 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 47m |
| September | 5:56 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:59 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:20 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:26 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:31 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:00 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:09 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:26 PM | 4:55 PM | 9h 57m |
| December | 6:28 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:42 AM | 3:34 PM | 4:17 PM | 4:48 PM | 9h 18m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Overland 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 21° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 4:59 AM – 4:59 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:10 AM – 5:20 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:09 AM – 4:19 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:04 AM – 3:24 AM | 3.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:20 PM – 3:00 AM | 4.7 | 21° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:11 PM – 1:41 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:24 PM – 11:34 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:25 PM – 9:35 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:34 PM – 7:34 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.91 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 31% 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 | 62 | 64 | 73 | 81 | 92 | 98 | 100 | 98 | 95 | 83 | 70 | 54 |
| Low °F | -18 | -6 | -1 | 15 | 19 | 27 | 42 | 40 | 26 | 8 | -8 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 2.0 |
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
- 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.
- After sunset, long exposures smooth wind ripples into glass.
- 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 Overland Lake, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Hot Spring
Lake
Lake
Lake
Lake
Lake
Wilderness Area
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Terraces Campground - Picnic Area21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Thomas Canyon22 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Powerhouse Group Picnic Area25 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Overland Lake?
What time is golden hour at Overland Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Overland Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Overland Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Overland Lake?
How far is Overland Lake from Spring Creek?
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.