Lake Billy Chinook is a lake in Jefferson County, Oregon. It sits roughly 13.9 km (8.6 mi) WNW of Culver.
Lake Billy Chinook is a reservoir in Jefferson County in the U.S. state of Oregon. Created by the Round Butte Dam in 1964, Lake Billy Chinook lies in a canyon at the confluence of the Crooked, Deschutes, and Metolius rivers near Culver and Madras. It was named for Billy Chinook, a Native American of the Wasco tribe who traveled alongside American explorers John C. Frémont and Kit Carson in their expeditions of 1843 and 1844.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Billy Chinook”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Billy Chinook 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) | 7:09 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:21 AM | 55° NE | 8:55 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 34m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:40 AM | 123° ESE | 4:29 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 | 7:07 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:26 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 12m |
| February | 6:37 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 28m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:51 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 5:05 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 48m |
| June | 4:44 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:05 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:30 PM | 15h 32m |
| July | 5:00 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:19 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:24 PM | 15h 14m |
| August | 5:37 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 04m |
| September | 6:16 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:47 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:01 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 6:31 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:47 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 36m |
| December | 7:03 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:24 AM | 3:39 PM | 4:27 PM | 5:00 PM | 8h 50m |
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 Lake Billy Chinook, 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:59 AM – 5:39 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:56 AM – 4:26 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:03 AM – 3:23 AM | 2.3 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:21 PM – 2:51 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:06 PM – 1:26 AM | 2.3 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:05 PM – 11:25 PM | 1.3 | 16° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:57 PM – 9:27 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: 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 ≈ 21.71 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 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
- 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.
- Expose for the brighter sky; reflections are typically half a stop to a stop darker.
- After sunset, long exposures smooth wind ripples into glass.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Lake Billy Chinook, closest first.
State Park
Waterfall
Scenic Viewpoint
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Perry South Campground6.6 km (4.1 mi) · reservable
- Monty Campground9.6 km (6.0 mi) · reservable
- South Shore Group Sites20 km (13 mi)
- South Shore Group Campground20 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Green Ridge Lookout20 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Billy Chinook?
What time is golden hour at Lake Billy Chinook?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Billy Chinook?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Billy Chinook?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Billy Chinook?
How far is Lake Billy Chinook from Culver?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.