Diablo Lake — a lake in Whatcom County, Washington — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to North Cascades National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 84 km (53 mi) ENE of Sedro-Woolley.
Diablo Lake is a reservoir in the North Cascade mountains of northern Washington state, United States. Created by Diablo Dam, the lake is located between Ross Lake and Gorge Lake on the Skagit River at an elevation of 1,201 feet (366 m) above sea level. Diablo Lake is part of the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project and managed by Seattle City Light.From the Wikipedia article “Diablo Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Diablo Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 52° (NE) at the June solstice and 126° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 234° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 65° in summer but only 18° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:08 AM | 89° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 41° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:02 AM | 52° NE | 9:12 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 09m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:55 AM | 126° SE | 4:11 PM | 234° SW | 18° | 8h 16m |
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 | 7:17 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:45 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:12 PM | 8h 44m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 13m |
| March | 6:47 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:41 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 42m |
| May | 4:46 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:17 PM | 15h 15m |
| June | 4:20 AM | 5:02 AM | 5:52 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:10 PM | 9:52 PM | 16h 08m |
| July | 4:38 AM | 5:18 AM | 6:06 AM | 8:16 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:44 PM | 15h 45m |
| August | 5:24 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 23m |
| September | 6:10 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:48 PM | 10h 51m |
| November | 6:40 AM | 7:14 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:37 PM | 4:26 PM | 5:01 PM | 9h 12m |
| December | 7:15 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:46 AM | 3:15 PM | 4:10 PM | 4:47 PM | 8h 18m |
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 Diablo Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from May through July. June gives the longest window (about 2.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 12° 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 3:55 AM – 4:05 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:52 AM – 2:42 AM | 0.8 | 12° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:53 PM – 2:33 AM | 2.7 | 12° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 12:01 AM – 12:41 AM | 0.7 | 12° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:31 PM – 10:31 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 21.77 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.0+ 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 42% average cloud cover) and November as the cloudiest (76%). 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 | 47 | 50 | 56 | 68 | 77 | 87 | 90 | 90 | 86 | 76 | 55 | 41 |
| Low °F | -20 | -17 | -12 | 1 | 16 | 28 | 34 | 35 | 24 | -2 | -17 | -20 |
| Precip. (in) | 9.5 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 4.8 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 3.4 | 7.2 | 10.7 | 9.1 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Diablo Lake, closest first.
Fire LookoutMountain Peak
WaterfallWaterfall
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakWaterfall
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Gorge Lake Campground1.5 km (0.9 mi) · reservable
- Colonial Creek North Campground3.4 km (2.1 mi) · reservable
- Colonial Creek South Campground3.8 km (2.3 mi) · reservable
- Newhalem Creek Campground10.5 km (6.5 mi) · reservable
- Lower Goodell Group Campground10.9 km (6.8 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Diablo Lake?
What time is golden hour at Diablo Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Diablo Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Diablo Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Diablo Lake?
How far is Diablo Lake from Sedro-Woolley?
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.