Located in Klamath County, Oregon, Upper Klamath Lake is a lake. The nearest town is Klamath Falls, about 20 km (13 mi) away (Upper Klamath Lake lies NNW of town).
Upper Klamath Lake (sometimes called Klamath Lake) (Klamath-Modoc: ?ews, 'lake') is a large, shallow freshwater lake east of the Cascade Range in south-central Oregon in the United States. The largest body of fresh water by surface area in Oregon, it is approximately 25 miles (40 km) long and 8 miles (13 km) wide and extends northwest from the city of Klamath Falls. It sits at an average elevation of 4,140 feet (1,260 m). In the early 20th century, most of the wetlands and marshes surrounding the lake were drained for agricultural purposes, damaging the larger habitat. The lake's water has been used to support the federal Klamath Project for irrigation by local farmers for a century. The lake depth fluctuates due to regulation of its water supply, averaging between 8 and 50 feet (2.4 and 15.2 m) deep. The lake level is kept within 4,137 to 4,143 ft (1,261 to 1,263 m) above sea level...From the Wikipedia article “Upper Klamath Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Upper Klamath Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (WNW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:12 AM | 90° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:31 AM | 57° ENE | 8:49 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 17m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:34 AM | 122° ESE | 4:39 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 04m |
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 | 7:04 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:19 AM | 4:17 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 25m |
| February | 6:36 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:58 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:18 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 5:15 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 36m |
| June | 4:56 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:13 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:22 PM | 15h 16m |
| July | 5:11 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:26 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 59m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:47 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:29 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:41 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 47m |
| December | 6:59 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:16 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 06m |
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 Upper Klamath Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:49 AM – 5:39 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:42 AM – 4:42 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 12:52 AM – 3:42 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:03 PM – 3:13 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:51 PM – 1:51 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:59 PM – 11:49 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:55 PM – 9:45 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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 ≈ 21.73 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ 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 20% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 60 | 72 | 78 | 87 | 96 | 100 | 96 | 94 | 86 | 71 | 54 |
| Low °F | -12 | -10 | 4 | 15 | 21 | 27 | 38 | 35 | 26 | 17 | -6 | -10 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 3.1 | 4.4 |
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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Upper Klamath Lake, closest first.
Lake
National Wildlife Refuge
Wilderness Area
Waterfall
Lake
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Sunset - Lake Of The Woods (Or)26 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Rainbow Bay27 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Aspen Point (Lake Of The Woods, Or)27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Upper Klamath Lake?
What time is golden hour at Upper Klamath Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Upper Klamath Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Upper Klamath Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Upper Klamath Lake?
How far is Upper Klamath Lake from Klamath Falls?
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.