Lake Oahe is a lake in Hughes County, South Dakota. The nearest town is Pierre, about 10.1 km (6.3 mi) away (Lake Oahe lies NNW of town).
Lake Oahe () is a large reservoir behind the Oahe Dam on the Missouri River; it begins in central South Dakota and continues north into North Dakota in the United States. The lake has an area of 370,000 acres (1,500 km2) and a maximum depth of 205 ft (62 m). By volume, it is the fourth-largest reservoir in the US. Lake Oahe has a length of approximately 231 mi (372 km) and has a shoreline of 2,250 mi (3,620 km). 51 recreation areas are located along Lake Oahe, and 1.5 million people visit the reservoir every year. The lake is named for the 1874 Oahe Indian Mission.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Oahe”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Oahe 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) | 7:46 AM | 90° E | 7:54 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:58 AM | 55° NE | 9:30 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 33m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:29 AM | 89° E | 7:41 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:16 AM | 123° ESE | 5:05 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 50m |
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 | 7:43 AM | 8:15 AM | 9:01 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:28 PM | 6:00 PM | 9h 13m |
| February | 7:13 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:24 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:41 PM | 10h 28m |
| March | 7:26 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:33 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:17 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:28 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:56 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 5:41 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:57 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:36 PM | 14h 47m |
| June | 5:21 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:42 AM | 8:44 PM | 9:29 PM | 10:05 PM | 15h 31m |
| July | 5:36 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:55 AM | 8:41 PM | 9:25 PM | 10:00 PM | 15h 13m |
| August | 6:14 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:20 PM | 14h 03m |
| September | 6:52 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:00 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:23 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:28 AM | 7:57 AM | 8:37 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 7:07 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:47 PM | 9h 37m |
| December | 7:39 AM | 8:12 AM | 9:00 AM | 4:15 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:37 PM | 8h 52m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Lake Oahe, 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:36 AM – 6:16 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:33 AM – 5:03 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:40 AM – 4:00 AM | 2.3 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:58 PM – 3:28 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:43 PM – 2:03 AM | 2.3 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:42 PM – 12:02 AM | 1.3 | 16° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:34 PM – 10:04 PM | 0.5 | 13° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.56 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 43% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (67%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 57 | 69 | 83 | 91 | 99 | 112 | 117 | 110 | 106 | 93 | 74 | 62 |
| Low °F | -23 | -12 | -21 | 13 | 27 | 43 | 49 | 49 | 36 | -1 | 1 | -17 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.4 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 0.6 |
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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Lake Oahe, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Oahe?
What time is golden hour at Lake Oahe?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Oahe?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Oahe?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Oahe?
How far is Lake Oahe from Pierre?
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.