Located in Union County, Oregon, Morgan Lake is a lake at about 1,267 m (4,157 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 4.6 km (2.9 mi) SW of La Grande.
Morgan Lake is a 45-acre (18 ha) lake in the Umatilla National Forest in the heart of Union County in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located 4.9 miles (7.9 km) west of La Grande, at an elevation of 4,157 feet (1,267 m). In 1976 an earthen dam was constructed on the preexisting lake, 180 feet (55 m) long and 20 feet (6.1 m) high, for irrigation and electrical purposes. A U.S. Forest Service campground at the lake has 17 sites. Fishing and swimming are the most popular activities at the lake.From the Wikipedia article “Morgan Lake (Oregon)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Morgan Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:56 AM | 90° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:05 AM | 55° NE | 8:45 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 39m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:40 AM | 89° E | 6:52 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:30 AM | 124° ESE | 4:13 PM | 237° WSW | 21° | 8h 44m |
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 | 6:56 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:16 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 07m |
| February | 6:25 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:37 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 25m |
| March | 6:37 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:37 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:48 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 30m |
| May | 4:49 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:06 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 53m |
| June | 4:27 AM | 5:05 AM | 5:50 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:21 PM | 15h 38m |
| July | 4:44 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:15 PM | 15h 19m |
| August | 5:22 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:34 PM | 14h 07m |
| September | 6:02 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:11 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:39 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:28 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:38 PM | 11h 00m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:37 AM | 3:39 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:56 PM | 9h 32m |
| December | 6:52 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:15 AM | 3:22 PM | 4:11 PM | 4:45 PM | 8h 45m |
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 Morgan Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 4:58 AM – 5:18 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:57 AM – 4:17 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:56 AM – 3:06 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:18 PM – 2:28 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:01 PM – 1:11 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:57 PM – 11:07 PM | 1.2 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:47 PM – 9:07 PM | 0.3 | 12° | 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.52 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 January as the cloudiest (76%). 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 | 63 | 63 | 76 | 84 | 92 | 100 | 101 | 103 | 100 | 87 | 72 | 58 |
| Low °F | -9 | 5 | 15 | 22 | 28 | 35 | 44 | 43 | 31 | 15 | 5 | -8 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.3 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 2.2 | 2.8 |
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
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Morgan Lake, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Morgan Lake?
What time is golden hour at Morgan Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Morgan Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Morgan Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Morgan Lake?
How far is Morgan Lake from La Grande?
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.