Malheur Lake — a lake in Harney County, Oregon — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Hines, about 35 km (22 mi) away (Malheur Lake lies SE of town).
Malheur Lake ( MAL-hure) is one of the lakes in the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Harney County in the U.S. state of Oregon. Located about 18 miles (29 km) southeast of Burns, the lake is marsh fed by the Donner und Blitzen River from the south and the Silvies River from the north. Malheur Lake periodically overflows into Mud Lake to the west and thence to Harney Lake, the sink of Harney Basin. The western area of Malheur Lake consists of ponds separated by small islands and peninsulas. The lake's central and eastern sections are more open. The generally shallow water is suitable habitat for migratory birds, waterfowl, and aquatic plants.From the Wikipedia article “Malheur Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Malheur 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) | 6:59 AM | 90° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:16 AM | 56° NE | 8:40 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 24m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:43 AM | 89° E | 6:54 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:25 AM | 122° ESE | 4:23 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 58m |
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 | 6:54 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:10 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 20m |
| February | 6:25 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 32m |
| March | 6:40 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:24 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:44 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 25m |
| May | 4:59 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 41m |
| June | 4:39 AM | 5:15 AM | 5:59 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:14 PM | 15h 23m |
| July | 4:55 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:09 PM | 15h 05m |
| August | 5:30 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 59m |
| September | 6:07 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:13 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:41 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:42 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:32 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:03 PM | 9h 43m |
| December | 6:49 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:08 AM | 3:34 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:53 PM | 8h 59m |
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 Malheur 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 1 (excellent dark-sky 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 | 4:37 AM – 5:27 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:41 AM – 4:21 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:44 AM – 3:24 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:57 PM – 2:47 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:45 PM – 1:35 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:49 PM – 11:29 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:44 PM – 9:24 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.93 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 25% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (72%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 56 | 62 | 76 | 83 | 93 | 102 | 105 | 100 | 98 | 88 | 71 | 54 |
| Low °F | -17 | -1 | 14 | 21 | 23 | 31 | 40 | 39 | 26 | 17 | 2 | -11 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 1.9 |
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
- 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.
- 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 Malheur Lake, closest first.
Ghost Town
National Wildlife Refuge
Hot SpringFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Malheur Lake?
What time is golden hour at Malheur Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Malheur Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Malheur Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Malheur Lake?
How far is Malheur Lake from Hines?
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.