Anderson Lake — a lake in Jefferson County, Washington at about 77 m (253 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Anderson Lake State Park. The nearest town is Port Hadlock-Irondale, about 1.9 km (1.2 mi) away (Anderson Lake lies SW of town).
Anderson Lake is a 57-acre (23 ha) body of water located 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west of Chimacum in Jefferson County, Washingtonwithin Section 9, Township 29N, Range 1W. Anderson Lake has a maximum depth of 29 feet (8.8 m) and a water volume of 1,228 acre-feet (1,515,000 m3). The lake drains into Chimacum Creek and Port Townsend Bay. It is surrounded by Anderson Lake State Park. The lake's fish population includes lake-reared rainbow trout that carry over to a second season from the initial spring fishery. Toxic algae have caused the lake to be closed to all access on multiple occasions. The lake has annual cyanobacteria blooms dominated by dolichospermum (anabaena), aphanizomenon and microcystis. These blooms are a major producer of anatoxin-a, a potent neurotoxin. County health officials have seasonally monitored local lakes for blue-green algae since 2007.From the Wikipedia article “Anderson Lake (Jefferson County, Washington)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Anderson Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 126° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 65° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:15 AM | 89° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:12 AM | 53° NE | 9:15 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 03m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:59 AM | 89° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:59 AM | 126° SE | 4:21 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 22m |
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 | 7:22 AM | 7:57 AM | 8:48 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:21 PM | 8h 49m |
| February | 6:47 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 15m |
| March | 6:54 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:50 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:20 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 39m |
| May | 4:56 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:21 PM | 15h 10m |
| June | 4:31 AM | 5:12 AM | 6:01 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:13 PM | 9:54 PM | 16h 01m |
| July | 4:49 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:15 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:08 PM | 9:47 PM | 15h 40m |
| August | 5:33 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:26 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 19m |
| September | 6:18 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:00 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:14 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:55 PM | 10h 53m |
| November | 6:45 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:07 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 16m |
| December | 7:19 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:49 AM | 3:26 PM | 4:19 PM | 4:56 PM | 8h 24m |
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 Anderson Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through July. June gives the longest window (about 1.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 13° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 3:47 AM – 4:17 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:49 AM – 2:59 AM | 1.2 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:28 AM – 1:48 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:54 PM – 12:54 AM | 1.0 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:32 PM – 10:52 PM | 0.3 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.27 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 44% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (83%). August 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 | 58 | 68 | 69 | 83 | 91 | 91 | 94 | 94 | 93 | 78 | 64 | 58 |
| Low °F | 10 | 15 | 21 | 28 | 36 | 42 | 47 | 46 | 41 | 28 | 15 | 11 |
| Precip. (in) | 7.4 | 4.8 | 5.6 | 3.7 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 2.5 | 5.5 | 8.1 | 6.7 |
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.
- 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.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drone rules in state parks vary by state and even by park — many require a permit or ban recreational drone flights. Check the park's rules and the FAA B4UFLY app before flying.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Anderson Lake, closest first.
State Park
State Park
LighthouseLighthouse
State ParkLighthouse
Lighthouse
LighthouseLighthouseCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Fort Casey Campground18.2 km (11.3 mi)
- Louella Cabin21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Dungeness Forks Campground24 km (15 mi)
- Falls View Campground27 km (17 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Anderson Lake?
What time is golden hour at Anderson Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Anderson Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Anderson Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Anderson Lake?
How far is Anderson Lake from Port Hadlock-Irondale?
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.