Devils Lake is a lake in Lincoln County, Oregon. It sits roughly 3.4 km (2.1 mi) NE of Lincoln City.
Devils Lake is a small lake in Lincoln County, Oregon, United States, along the Oregon Coast. It separates the northern part of Lincoln City from the Central Oregon Coast Range. It is 1/3 of a mile wide, three miles (5 km) long, and up to 21 feet (6.4 m) deep. The 120 feet (37 m) long D River flows from the lake westward to the Pacific Ocean. According to Oregon Geographic Names, the name derives from a Native American legend that a giant fish, giant octopus, or other large marine creature would occasionally surface, much to the dismay of anyone fishing in the vicinity.From the Wikipedia article “Devils Lake (Lincoln County, Oregon)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Devils 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 68° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:20 AM | 90° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:30 AM | 55° NE | 9:07 PM | 305° NW | 68° | 15h 37m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:52 AM | 123° ESE | 4:38 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 | 7:18 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:38 AM | 4:14 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 10m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 7:00 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:51 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:01 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 30m |
| May | 5:14 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 51m |
| June | 4:52 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:15 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:42 PM | 15h 36m |
| July | 5:08 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:28 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:37 PM | 15h 16m |
| August | 5:47 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 05m |
| September | 6:26 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:12 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:32 PM | 7:02 PM | 11h 00m |
| November | 6:43 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 34m |
| December | 7:14 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:37 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:10 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 Devils 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 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:20 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:19 AM – 4:39 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:18 AM – 3:28 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:38 PM – 2:48 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:21 PM – 1:31 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:19 PM – 11:29 PM | 1.2 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:09 PM – 9:29 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.22 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 34% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (80%). August 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 | 61 | 64 | 71 | 79 | 86 | 89 | 87 | 89 | 94 | 80 | 66 | 61 |
| Low °F | 19 | 23 | 24 | 30 | 34 | 41 | 45 | 46 | 40 | 25 | 24 | 13 |
| Precip. (in) | 8.6 | 6.3 | 6.9 | 4.8 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 2.2 | 4.8 | 8.6 | 10.3 |
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
- Expose for the brighter sky; reflections are typically half a stop to a stop darker.
- 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.
- 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 Devils Lake, closest first.
State Park
State Park
State Park
Covered Bridge
National Wildlife Refuge
Ghost Town
WaterfallWaterfall
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Devils Lake?
What time is golden hour at Devils Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Devils Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Devils Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Devils Lake?
How far is Devils Lake from Lincoln 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.