Donaca Lake — a lake in Linn County, Oregon at about 814 m (2,671 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Mill City, about 34 km (21 mi) away (Donaca Lake lies SE of town).
Donaca Lake is a 3-acre (12,000 m2), 41-foot (12 m) deep lake in Linn County, Oregon, United States. It lies at an elevation of 2,700 feet (820 m). The lake can be accessed via two different trails, one from the south and one from the north. The lake is located within an old growth forest in the Middle Santiam Wilderness near Sweet Home. Donaca Lake provides habitat for a unique strain of cutthroat trout and affords excellent fishing for lively 8-to-12-inch (20 to 30 cm) specimens. Though not required by law, catch and release methods are encouraged to protect this fishery.From the Wikipedia article “Donaca Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Donaca 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) | 7:13 AM | 90° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:25 AM | 55° NE | 8:58 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 33m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:43 AM | 123° ESE | 4:32 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 49m |
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 | 7:10 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:29 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 12m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 28m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 5:08 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 48m |
| June | 4:47 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:09 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:33 PM | 15h 32m |
| July | 5:03 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:27 PM | 15h 13m |
| August | 5:41 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 03m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:50 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:04 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 6:35 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:50 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 36m |
| December | 7:06 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:27 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:04 PM | 8h 51m |
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 Donaca 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:03 AM – 5:43 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:00 AM – 4:30 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:07 AM – 3:27 AM | 2.3 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:25 PM – 2:55 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:10 PM – 1:30 AM | 2.3 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:09 PM – 11:29 PM | 1.3 | 16° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:01 PM – 9:31 PM | 0.5 | 13° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.67 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 28% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (78%). 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 | 68 | 68 | 73 | 86 | 97 | 98 | 106 | 103 | 98 | 87 | 78 | 61 |
| Low °F | 9 | 7 | 17 | 22 | 28 | 36 | 42 | 40 | 35 | 25 | 10 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 8.1 | 6.3 | 7.2 | 5.4 | 3.5 | 2.3 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 2.3 | 4.9 | 8.4 | 9.9 |
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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Donaca Lake, closest first.
Waterfall
Wilderness Area
Wilderness Area
LakeWaterfall
VolcanoWaterfallWaterfall
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Old Miner'S Meadow Group Use Area14.5 km (9.0 mi) · reservable
- House Rock Campground15.8 km (9.8 mi) · reservable
- Yellowbottom Recreation Site16.3 km (10.1 mi) · reservable
- Sevenmile16.5 km (10.3 mi) · reservable
- Big Meadows Horse Camp16.6 km (10.3 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Donaca Lake?
What time is golden hour at Donaca Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Donaca Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Donaca Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Donaca Lake?
How far is Donaca Lake from Mill 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.