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Lakes in Washington

96 lakes in Washington with photography planning data — sunrise and sunset azimuths, golden hour by month, Milky Way windows and estimated sky darkness. King County has the most (31). The darkest skies are at Osoyoos Lake (Bortle 1).

Top lakes

Lake WashingtonLake
Lake WashingtonKing County · 5 m
Lake ChelanLake
Lake ChelanChelan County
Lake UnionLake
Lake UnionKing County · 5 m
Lake SammamishLake
Lake SammamishKing County · 9 m
Lake CrescentLake
Lake CrescentClallam County · 178 m
Lake QuinaultLake
Lake QuinaultGrays Harbor County · 58 m
Spirit LakeLake
Spirit LakeSkamania County · 1,040 m
Osoyoos LakeLake
Osoyoos LakeOkanogan County · 279 m
Ozette LakeLake
Ozette LakeClallam County · 10 m
Mowich LakeLake
Mowich LakePierce County · 1,505 m
Blanca LakeLake
Blanca LakeSnohomish County · 1,212 m
Lake WenatcheeLake
Lake WenatcheeChelan County · 571 m

Lakes by county

All lakes (96)

NameCountyElevationNearest townSky
Lake WashingtonKing County5 mMedina8
Lake ChelanChelan County—Chelan4
Lake UnionKing County5 mSeattle7
Lake SammamishKing County9 mSammamish8
Lake CrescentOlympicClallam County178 mPort Angeles3
Lake QuinaultGrays Harbor County58 mHoquiam3
Spirit LakeSkamania County1,040 mMorton3
Osoyoos LakeOkanogan County279 mOroville1
Ozette LakeOlympicClallam County10 mForks2
Mowich LakeMount RainierPierce County1,505 mCrocker4
Blanca LakeSnohomish County1,212 mGold Bar3
Lake WenatcheeChelan County571 mLeavenworth3
Green LakeKing County50 mGreenwood7
Lenore LakeGrant County329 mSoap Lake2
Lake WhatcomWhatcom County95 mSudden Valley5
Mason LakeKing County1,297 mRiverbend4
Haller LakeKing County114 mGreenwood8
Eunice LakeMount RainierPierce County1,633 mCrocker4
Lake DorothyKing County933 mTanner4
Silver LakeCowlitz County149 mCastle Rock3
Surprise LakePierce County96 mEdgewood7
Upper Melakwa LakeKing County1,373 mTanner4
Omak LakeOkanogan County292 mOkanogan2
Soda LakeGrant County305 mWarden3
Rattlesnake LakeKing County279 mWilderness Rim5
Vancouver LakeClark County3 mLake Shore7
Lake Sacajawea (Longview, Washington)Cowlitz County2 mLongview7
Black LakeThurston County41 mTumwater5
Franklin D. Roosevelt LakeOkanogan County—Coulee Dam2
Ross LakeNorth CascadesWhatcom County—Sedro-Woolley2
Angle LakeKing County107 mSeaTac8
Lake LawrenceThurston County131 mRainier4
Lake MeridianKing County114 mCovington7
Lake SutherlandClallam County161 mPort Angeles3
Bitter LakeKing County134 mShoreline8
Loon LakeStevens County727 mDeer Park3
Scott LakeThurston County58 mTenino5
Long LakeThurston County49 mTanglewilde-Thompson Place7
Tipsoo LakeMount RainierPierce County1,615 mCrocker3
Horseshoe LakeSkamania County1,263 mHood River3
Olallie LakeSkamania County1,293 mMorton3
Takhlakh LakeSkamania County1,338 mHood River3
Palmer LakeOkanogan County351 mOroville1
Virgin LakeSnohomish County1,395 mGold Bar3
Ohop LakePierce County161 mEatonville5
Pattison LakeThurston County49 mLacey6
Snow LakeKing County1,225 mTanner4
Foggy LakeSnohomish County1,592 mGold Bar4
Spring LakeKing County147 mMaple Heights-Lake Desire7
Clark LakeKing County130 mEast Hill-Meridian8
Heather LakeSnohomish County731 mGranite Falls4
Hicks LakeThurston County56 mLacey7
Larsen LakeKing County77 mWilburton8
Southwick LakeThurston County59 mLacey7
Twin LakesWhatcom County1,574 mPeaceful Valley2
Waptus LakeKittitas County904 mCle Elum3
Lake SereneSnohomish County770 mGold Bar4
Barnes LakeThurston County50 mTumwater7
Coldwater LakeSkamania County760 mMorton3
Beaver LakeKing County126 mKlahanie7
Snow LakeMount RainierLewis County1,427 mEatonville3
Hidden LakeNorth CascadesSkagit County1,749 mDarrington2
Lake SamishWhatcom County83 mSudden Valley4
Phantom LakeKing County78 mWest Lake Sammamish8
Pine LakeKing County118 mCity of Sammamish8
Rock LakeWhitman County588 mCheney2
Gravelly LakePierce County80 mLakewood7
Simmons LakeThurston County44 mOlympia7
Toad LakeWhatcom County219 mGeneva5
Lake KapowsinPierce County178 mGraham5
Bench LakeMount RainierLewis County1,385 mEatonville3
Iceberg LakeWhatcom County1,462 mPeaceful Valley2
Yellow LakeKing County118 mKlahanie7
Rasmussen LakeKing County79 mDuvall6
Horseshoe LakeKing County152 mBlack Diamond6
Lake BurienKing County98 mBurien8
Trout LakeKing County100 mLakeland South8
Echo LakeKing County120 mShoreline8
Lake MortonKing County160 mLake Morton-Berrydale7
Silver LakeWhatcom County233 mPeaceful Valley3
Tomyhoi LakeWhatcom County1,136 mPeaceful Valley2
Fivemile LakeKing County115 mLakeland South8
Lake FenwickKing County36 mKent8
Lake GenevaKing County113 mLakeland South8
Totem LakeKing County40 mKingsgate8
Goose PondThurston County49 mLacey7
Lake LoisThurston County49 mTanglewilde7
Longs PondThurston County48 mTanglewilde7
Diablo LakeNorth CascadesWhatcom County—Sedro-Woolley2
Moses LakeGrant County—Cascade Valley5
Dagger LakeNorth CascadesChelan County1,680 mArlington2
Anderson LakeJefferson County77 mPort Hadlock-Irondale5
Lake IlswootKing County1,400 mTanner3
Big LakeSkagit County25 mBig Lake4
Baker LakeSkagit County—Peaceful Valley3
Lake ShannonSkagit County—Darrington3

Sky = estimated Bortle class (1 darkest – 9 brightest).

Map

How to photograph lakes

Lakes reflect best in calm air — usually the first hour after sunrise, before breezes ripple the surface.

  • 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.
  • Expose for the brighter sky; reflections are typically half a stop to a stop darker.

Season: Autumn mornings bring mist and fall color; high-elevation lakes are usually ice-free only from early summer to mid-autumn.