Billy Jones Lake is a lake in Wallowa County, Oregon at about 2,570 m (8,432 ft) above sea level. It is part of Eagle Cap Wilderness. It sits roughly 14.9 km (9.3 mi) SW of Joseph.
Billy Jones Lake is a tarn located on Hurricane Divide in the Eagle Cap Wilderness of Northeastern Oregon, United States. It is situated less than one mile from Echo Lake. It is the second highest lake in the Eagle Cap Wilderness at 8,400 ft (2,560.3 m), though some claim it to be slightly higher at 8,419 ft (2,566 m) or 8,435 ft (2,571 m). The only lake in the Eagle Cap Wilderness that is higher than Billy Jones Lake is Legore Lake at 8,950 ft (2,730 m) located 4 miles (6.4 km) from Billy Jones Lake.From the Wikipedia article “Billy Jones Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Billy Jones Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:53 AM | 90° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:02 AM | 55° NE | 8:41 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 39m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:37 AM | 89° E | 6:49 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:26 AM | 124° ESE | 4:10 PM | 237° WSW | 21° | 8h 44m |
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 | 6:53 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:12 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 08m |
| February | 6:21 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:48 PM | 10h 26m |
| March | 6:33 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:42 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:34 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:44 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 30m |
| May | 4:46 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 52m |
| June | 4:24 AM | 5:02 AM | 5:47 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:17 PM | 15h 38m |
| July | 4:41 AM | 5:17 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:11 PM | 15h 18m |
| August | 5:19 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 07m |
| September | 5:59 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:08 AM | 6:23 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:32 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:36 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:06 PM | 6:35 PM | 11h 00m |
| November | 6:17 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:33 AM | 3:36 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:53 PM | 9h 33m |
| December | 6:49 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:12 AM | 3:19 PM | 4:08 PM | 4:42 PM | 8h 46m |
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 Billy Jones Lake, 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 1 (excellent dark-sky 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 | 4:54 AM – 5:14 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:53 AM – 4:13 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:52 AM – 3:02 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:14 PM – 2:24 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:57 PM – 1:07 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:53 PM – 11:03 PM | 1.2 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:43 PM – 9:03 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.9 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 29% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (75%). 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 | 48 | 53 | 67 | 78 | 88 | 97 | 102 | 100 | 97 | 87 | 64 | 52 |
| Low °F | -14 | -9 | 5 | 16 | 23 | 29 | 36 | 36 | 26 | 11 | -3 | -11 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.2 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 2.6 | 3.5 |
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.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drones may not take off from or land in federally designated wilderness, where mechanized equipment is prohibited under the Wilderness Act.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Billy Jones Lake, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Lake
Lake
Wilderness Area
LakeMountain Peak
WaterfallWaterfall
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Shady Campground2.8 km (1.8 mi)
- Two Color Guard Station23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- North Fork Catherine Creek Group Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Moss Springs Campground26 km (16 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Billy Jones Lake?
What time is golden hour at Billy Jones Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Billy Jones Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Billy Jones Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Billy Jones Lake?
How far is Billy Jones Lake from Joseph?
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.