Siltcoos Lake — a lake in Lane County, Oregon — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Dunes City, about 2.3 km (1.4 mi) away (Siltcoos Lake lies ESE of town).
Siltcoos Lake (silt’-koos), at 3,164 acres (1,280 ha), is the largest lake on the Oregon Coast of the United States. Fed by runoff from a basin of about 68 square miles (180 km2) in Douglas and Lane counties, it is about 7 miles (11 km) south of Florence and 0.5 miles (1 km) east of U.S. Route 101. Its name comes from a Lower Umpqua (Siuslaw) placename, a variant of which is Tsiltcoos. The lake, with a mean elevation of 13 feet (4 m) above sea level, empties into the Siltcoos River, which meanders generally west for about 3 miles (4.8 km) to its mouth on the Pacific Ocean. A dam about a half-mile downriver regulates the lake's outflow.From the Wikipedia article “Siltcoos Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Siltcoos 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) | 7:20 AM | 90° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 56° NE | 9:03 PM | 305° NW | 70° | 15h 28m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:48 AM | 123° ESE | 4:42 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 | 7:16 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:33 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 17m |
| February | 6:47 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 7:01 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:51 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:04 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 44m |
| June | 4:58 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:18 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:37 PM | 15h 27m |
| July | 5:14 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:31 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:32 PM | 15h 09m |
| August | 5:50 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 01m |
| September | 6:28 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:02 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:11 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:34 PM | 7:03 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:41 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 40m |
| December | 7:12 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:32 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:13 PM | 8h 56m |
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 Siltcoos 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 3 (rural sky), 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 | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:09 AM – 5:49 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:05 AM – 4:45 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:10 AM – 3:40 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:26 PM – 3:06 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:12 PM – 1:42 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:14 PM – 11:44 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:07 PM – 9:37 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.64 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 September as the clearest month (about 64% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (83%). August is the warmest month and February 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 | 61 | 65 | 67 | 75 | 75 | 79 | 79 | 82 | 85 | 78 | 65 | 62 |
| Low °F | 31 | 30 | 35 | 37 | 41 | 47 | 49 | 50 | 46 | 38 | 33 | 28 |
| Precip. (in) | 7.5 | 6.1 | 6.3 | 4.2 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 3.7 | 7.7 | 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
- 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.
- 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 Siltcoos Lake, closest first.
State Park
Lake
Scenic Viewpoint
Lake
Waterfall
Waterfall
State Park
Wilderness Area
WaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Tyee Campground - Oregon Dunes2.8 km (1.7 mi) · reservable
- Lagoon Campground4.4 km (2.7 mi) · reservable
- Driftwood4.5 km (2.8 mi) · reservable
- Waxmyrtle Campground4.5 km (2.8 mi) · reservable
- Siltcoos Sand Camping5.0 km (3.1 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Siltcoos Lake?
What time is golden hour at Siltcoos Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Siltcoos Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Siltcoos Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Siltcoos Lake?
How far is Siltcoos Lake from Dunes 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.