Anthony Lakes — a lake in Baker County, Oregon at about 2,175 m (7,136 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 38 km (23 mi) WNW of Baker City.
Anthony Lakes (also North Powder Lakes) are a group of about 15 subalpine lakes and marshes in the Blue Mountains of northeastern Oregon, U.S. The group contains Grande Ronde Lake, Mud Lake, Floodwater Flats, Anthony Lake, Lilypad Lake, Hoffer Lakes, and several unnamed marshes and shallow lakes.From the Wikipedia article “Anthony Lakes (Oregon)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Anthony Lakes the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:57 AM | 90° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:07 AM | 55° NE | 8:44 PM | 305° NW | 68° | 15h 37m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:41 AM | 89° E | 6:52 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:29 AM | 123° ESE | 4:15 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 46m |
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 | 6:55 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:15 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 10m |
| February | 6:25 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 6:37 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:38 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:48 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 29m |
| May | 4:51 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:07 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 51m |
| June | 4:29 AM | 5:07 AM | 5:52 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:19 PM | 15h 35m |
| July | 4:45 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:14 PM | 15h 16m |
| August | 5:24 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 05m |
| September | 6:03 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:11 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:40 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:29 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 00m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:36 AM | 3:41 PM | 4:26 PM | 4:57 PM | 9h 34m |
| December | 6:51 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:14 AM | 3:24 PM | 4:13 PM | 4:47 PM | 8h 48m |
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 Anthony Lakes, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 4:57 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:56 AM – 4:16 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:54 AM – 3:04 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:15 PM – 2:25 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:58 PM – 1:08 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:56 PM – 11:06 PM | 1.2 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:46 PM – 9:06 PM | 0.3 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.89 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 27% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (73%). 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 | 54 | 55 | 71 | 80 | 90 | 98 | 104 | 99 | 98 | 88 | 66 | 55 |
| Low °F | -12 | -2 | 9 | 14 | 23 | 28 | 36 | 34 | 26 | 10 | 0 | -12 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.2 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 1.9 | 2.6 |
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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Anthony Lakes, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Anthony Lake Guard Station406 m · reservable
- Anthony Lake468 m · reservable
- Mud Lake Campground611 m · reservable
- Peavy Cabin6.0 km (3.7 mi) · reservable
- North Fork John Day Campground (Or)14.3 km (8.9 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Anthony Lakes?
What time is golden hour at Anthony Lakes?
Where does the sun rise and set at Anthony Lakes?
Can you see the Milky Way from Anthony Lakes?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Anthony Lakes?
How far is Anthony Lakes from Baker City?
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.