Located in Harney County, Oregon, Alvord Lake is a lake at about 1,227 m (4,026 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 172 km (107 mi) NNW of Winnemucca.
Alvord Lake is a seasonal shallow alkali lake in Harney County of the U.S. state of Oregon. Its elevation is 4,026 feet (1,227 m). It is located about 10 miles (16 km) southeast of Alvord Desert in the Alvord Basin and serves as terminus for all its streams. Its water level varies from dry to several feet deep. The nearest habitation is tiny Fields, 14.1 kilometres (8.8 mi) SSW. At one time, Alvord Lake stretched 100 miles (160 km) along the east side of Steens Mountain. The Alvord Basin covers about 2,150 square miles (5,600 km2) bounded on the northwest by Steens Mountain, on the southwest by the Pueblo Mountains, on the southeast by the Trout Creek Mountains, and on the northeast by the Sheepshead Mountains. Major tributaries are Mosquito Creek, Willow Creek, Wildhorse Creek, Whitehorse Creek, Trout Creek, and Van Horn Creek. The tributaries of Alvord Lake were home to the...From the Wikipedia article “Alvord Lake (Oregon)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Alvord Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (WNW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:59 AM | 90° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:18 AM | 57° ENE | 8:36 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 17m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:43 AM | 89° E | 6:53 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:21 AM | 122° ESE | 4:25 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 04m |
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 | 6:51 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 25m |
| February | 6:23 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 6:39 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:44 AM | 6:24 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:29 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:45 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:52 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 5:02 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 36m |
| June | 4:43 AM | 5:18 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:09 PM | 15h 16m |
| July | 4:58 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 59m |
| August | 5:32 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 6:07 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:12 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:34 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:40 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:36 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:42 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:28 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:04 PM | 9h 48m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:38 PM | 4:23 PM | 4:55 PM | 9h 06m |
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 Alvord Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:35 AM – 5:25 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:28 AM – 4:28 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 12:38 AM – 3:28 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:49 PM – 2:59 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:37 PM – 1:37 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:45 PM – 11:35 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:42 PM – 9:32 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.94 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 July as the clearest month (about 28% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (70%). July is the warmest month and December 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 | 59 | 62 | 76 | 82 | 92 | 98 | 104 | 99 | 96 | 87 | 70 | 56 |
| Low °F | -19 | 2 | 11 | 18 | 22 | 30 | 39 | 39 | 29 | 16 | 4 | -10 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.4 |
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
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Alvord Lake, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Alvord Lake?
What time is golden hour at Alvord Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Alvord Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Alvord Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Alvord Lake?
How far is Alvord Lake from Winnemucca?
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.