Clear Lake — a lake in Linn County, Oregon at about 921 m (3,022 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Willamette National Forest. It sits roughly 36 km (22 mi) WNW of Sisters.
Clear Lake is a mountain lake 86 mi (138 km) northeast of Eugene, Oregon, United States in Linn County. It has two main bodies connected by a bottleneck. The lake is primarily fed by snow runoff from nearby Mount Washington and the surrounding areas. The runoff filters through caverns for more than 20 years before emptying into Clear Lake. The lake is also fed by two small creeks, which may dry up seasonally, along with Great Spring, the source of the McKenzie River. Clear Lake is the headwaters of the McKenzie River, which is the sole source of drinking water for Eugene. The south end of Clear Lake empties 250,000 gallons per minute (57 million Liters/hour) into the White Water Rapids which then flows over Sahalie Falls and Koosah Falls 1 mile downstream on the opposite side of Highway 126.From the Wikipedia article “Clear Lake (Linn County, Oregon)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Clear Lake 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 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:12 AM | 90° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:25 AM | 55° NE | 8:57 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 32m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:42 AM | 123° ESE | 4:32 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 50m |
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 | 7:09 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:27 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 14m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 5:08 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 47m |
| June | 4:47 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:08 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:31 PM | 15h 31m |
| July | 5:03 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:26 PM | 15h 12m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 03m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:50 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:33 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:49 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 37m |
| December | 7:05 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:26 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:03 PM | 8h 52m |
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 Clear Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:01 AM – 5:41 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:58 AM – 4:28 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:04 AM – 3:34 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:21 PM – 2:51 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:06 PM – 1:36 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:07 PM – 11:37 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:59 PM – 9:29 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.73 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ 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 24% average cloud cover) and January 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 | 65 | 65 | 77 | 84 | 94 | 100 | 103 | 102 | 98 | 88 | 72 | 58 |
| Low °F | -8 | 4 | 2 | 22 | 26 | 33 | 40 | 40 | 30 | 17 | 3 | -6 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 3.8 |
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
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Clear Lake, closest first.
Waterfall
Waterfall
Waterfall
Volcano
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Wilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Cold Water Cove - Willamette Nf (Or)490 m · reservable
- Ice Cap Campground2.3 km (1.4 mi) · reservable
- Fish Lake Remount Depot Cabins4.9 km (3.0 mi) · reservable
- Trout Creek Campground - Willamette (Or)7.7 km (4.8 mi) · reservable
- Lost Prairie Group Site8.1 km (5.0 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Clear Lake?
What time is golden hour at Clear Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Clear Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Clear Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Clear Lake?
How far is Clear Lake from Sisters?
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.