Strawberry Lake — a lake in Grant County, Oregon at about 2,106 m (6,909 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 25 km (15 mi) ESE of John Day.
Strawberry Lake is a natural high-elevation body of water in the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness in the U.S. state of Oregon. Located in the Malheur National Forest about 10 miles (16 km) south of Prairie City in Grant County, the shallow lake covers about 36 acres (150,000 m2) surrounded by forest. Recreational activities in the lake basin include hiking, backpacking, skiing, and fishing.From the Wikipedia article “Strawberry Lake (Oregon)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Strawberry Lake 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) | 6:59 AM | 90° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:11 AM | 55° NE | 8:43 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 32m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:43 AM | 89° E | 6:54 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:28 AM | 123° ESE | 4:19 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 51m |
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 | 7:28 AM | 8:14 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 14m |
| February | 6:26 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:54 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 6:39 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:23 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:41 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 4:55 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 47m |
| June | 4:34 AM | 5:11 AM | 5:55 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:18 PM | 15h 30m |
| July | 4:50 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:12 PM | 15h 12m |
| August | 5:27 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 03m |
| September | 6:05 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:13 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:41 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:41 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:35 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 38m |
| December | 6:51 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:12 AM | 3:29 PM | 4:17 PM | 4:50 PM | 8h 52m |
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 Strawberry Lake, 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 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:48 AM – 5:28 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:45 AM – 4:15 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:51 AM – 3:21 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:08 PM – 2:38 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:53 PM – 1:23 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:54 PM – 11:24 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:46 PM – 9:16 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.92 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 27% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (73%). 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 | 54 | 55 | 71 | 80 | 90 | 98 | 104 | 99 | 98 | 88 | 66 | 55 |
| Low °F | -12 | -2 | 9 | 14 | 23 | 28 | 36 | 34 | 26 | 10 | 0 | -12 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.2 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 1.9 | 2.6 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Strawberry Lake, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfall
Mountain Peak
National Forest
Hot Spring
Wilderness AreaHot SpringHot SpringCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Big Creek Campground 14.3 km (8.9 mi) · reservable
- Short Creek Guard Station23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Fall Mountain Lookout Cabin29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Strawberry Lake?
What time is golden hour at Strawberry Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Strawberry Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Strawberry Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Strawberry Lake?
How far is Strawberry Lake from John Day?
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.