Mink Lake — a lake in Lane County, Oregon at about 1,536 m (5,039 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Three Sisters Wilderness. It sits roughly 38 km (24 mi) WNW of Three Rivers.
Mink Lake is the second-largest wilderness lake in the US state of Oregon. Mink Lake lies at about 5,000 feet (1,500 m) above sea level on a Cascade Range lava plateau in the Three Sisters Wilderness in eastern Lane County. One of many lakes in the Mink Lake Basin, it covers 139 acres (56 ha). Hiking trails enter the Mink Lake Basin, at the headwaters of the South Fork McKenzie River, from many directions. The Pacific Crest Trail runs roughly north–south about 1 mile (1.6 km) east of the lake. Natural campsites abound in the area, but in warm weather mosquitoes can be a problem. So few chemicals and nutrients enter this lake that it is classified as ultraoligotrophic, and it is thought to be among the most pristine lakes in Oregon. Fishing is possible here mainly because of stocking. Rainbow and cutthroat trout range in size from 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm).From the Wikipedia article “Mink Lake (Lane County, Oregon)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mink Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (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) | 7:12 AM | 90° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:26 AM | 56° NE | 8:55 PM | 305° NW | 70° | 15h 29m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:40 AM | 123° ESE | 4:33 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 54m |
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 | 7:08 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:25 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 16m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 5:09 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 45m |
| June | 4:49 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:09 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:29 PM | 15h 27m |
| July | 5:05 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:23 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:24 PM | 15h 09m |
| August | 5:41 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 01m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:32 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 40m |
| December | 7:03 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:23 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:04 PM | 8h 55m |
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 Mink Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:01 AM – 5:41 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:57 AM – 4:37 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:02 AM – 3:32 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:18 PM – 2:58 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:04 PM – 1:34 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:06 PM – 11:36 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:59 PM – 9:29 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.78 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 23% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (72%). 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 | 59 | 61 | 72 | 79 | 89 | 95 | 102 | 97 | 95 | 87 | 71 | 55 |
| Low °F | -16 | -5 | 8 | 18 | 22 | 26 | 33 | 34 | 28 | 16 | 0 | -12 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 2.4 | 3.6 |
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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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
Drones: Drones may not take off from or land in federally designated wilderness, where mechanized equipment is prohibited under the Wilderness Act.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Mink Lake, closest first.
Lake
Volcano
Lake
Lake
LakeVolcano
WaterfallWaterfall
Wilderness AreaCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Point Campground - Deschutes10.1 km (6.3 mi) · reservable
- Cultus Lake Boat In - Big Cove Campground10.4 km (6.4 mi) · reservable
- Cultus Lake Boat In - West Campground10.5 km (6.5 mi) · reservable
- Little Fawn Campground10.9 km (6.8 mi) · reservable
- Elk Lake Campground10.9 km (6.8 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mink Lake?
What time is golden hour at Mink Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mink Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mink Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mink Lake?
How far is Mink Lake from Three Rivers?
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.