Diamond Lake — a lake in Douglas County, Oregon at about 1,581 m (5,187 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to Crater Lake National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Eagle Point, about 93 km (58 mi) away (Diamond Lake lies NE of town).
Diamond Lake is a natural body of water in the southern part of the U.S. state of Oregon. It lies near the junction of Oregon Route 138 and Oregon Route 230 in the Umpqua National Forest in Douglas County. It is located between Mount Bailey to the west and Mount Thielsen to the east; it is just north of Crater Lake National Park. The outlet of the lake is at its north end. From there, water flows via Diamond Lake Creek into the North Umpqua River and ultimately to the Pacific Ocean. Diamond Lake was named for John Diamond, for whom Diamond Peak is also named. He saw the lake in 1852 while on the summit of Diamond Peak. Diamond was a pioneer settler of Coburg, Oregon, and part of a party opening a road between the Middle Fork Willamette River and Idaho as an immigration route. An adjacent post office named Diamond Lake, Oregon, was established in 1925 and ran until 1956, when it was...From the Wikipedia article “Diamond Lake (Oregon)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Diamond Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:13 AM | 90° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:30 AM | 56° NE | 8:53 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 23m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:38 AM | 122° ESE | 4:37 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 59m |
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 | 7:07 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 21m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 5:13 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 40m |
| June | 4:54 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:12 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:26 PM | 15h 22m |
| July | 5:09 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:25 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:21 PM | 15h 04m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 58m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:56 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:32 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 44m |
| December | 7:02 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:21 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 00m |
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 Diamond Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° 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 | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:51 AM – 5:41 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:55 AM – 4:35 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:58 AM – 3:38 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:11 PM – 3:01 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:58 PM – 1:48 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:03 PM – 11:43 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:58 PM – 9:38 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.88 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 25% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (75%). 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 | 64 | 64 | 70 | 78 | 87 | 94 | 103 | 99 | 96 | 86 | 74 | 58 |
| Low °F | 1 | -1 | 5 | 11 | 24 | 31 | 36 | 37 | 31 | 21 | 0 | -1 |
| Precip. (in) | 6.6 | 5.3 | 5.9 | 4.4 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 3.6 | 6.7 | 8.5 |
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.
- 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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Diamond Lake, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
National Forest
Waterfall
Wilderness Area
VolcanoWaterfall
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Diamond Lake1.5 km (0.9 mi) · reservable
- Thielsen View Campground1.7 km (1.1 mi) · reservable
- South Shore Pavilion2.7 km (1.7 mi) · reservable
- Broken Arrow Campground3.0 km (1.9 mi) · reservable
- East Lemolo Campground16.8 km (10.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Diamond Lake?
What time is golden hour at Diamond Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Diamond Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Diamond Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Diamond Lake?
How far is Diamond Lake from Eagle Point?
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.