Lake Chelan — a lake in Chelan County, Washington — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Okanogan National Forest. It sits roughly 2.2 km (1.4 mi) W of Chelan.
Lake Chelan ( shə-LAN) is a narrow, 50.5 mi (81.3 km) long lake in Chelan County, north-central Washington state, U.S. It is an overdeepened lake and resembles a fjord, with an average width of 1.3 mi (2.1 km). Near its upper end, the lake surface lies more than 6,600 ft (2,000 m) below peaks less than 3 mi (4.8 km) away. Before 1927, Lake Chelan was the largest natural lake in the state, in terms of both surface area and water volume. Upon the completion of Lake Chelan Dam in 1927, the elevation of the lake was increased by 21 ft (6.4 m) to its present maximum-capacity elevation of 1,100 ft (340 m).From the Wikipedia article “Lake Chelan”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Chelan the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:02 AM | 53° NE | 9:03 PM | 308° NW | 66° | 16h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:48 AM | 89° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:47 AM | 125° SE | 4:11 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 23m |
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 | 7:10 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:36 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:10 PM | 8h 50m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 16m |
| March | 6:43 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:37 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:39 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 39m |
| May | 4:46 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:09 PM | 15h 09m |
| June | 4:21 AM | 5:02 AM | 5:50 AM | 8:13 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:42 PM | 16h 00m |
| July | 4:39 AM | 5:18 AM | 6:05 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:35 PM | 15h 38m |
| August | 5:22 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 19m |
| September | 6:07 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:19 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:46 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:49 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:45 PM | 10h 53m |
| November | 6:33 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:55 AM | 3:37 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:58 PM | 9h 17m |
| December | 7:07 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:37 AM | 3:16 PM | 4:09 PM | 4:45 PM | 8h 25m |
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 Lake Chelan, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.7 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| 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 | 3:35 AM – 4:05 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:36 AM – 2:56 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:10 AM – 1:50 AM | 1.7 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:39 PM – 12:49 AM | 1.2 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:19 PM – 10:49 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.55 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 36% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (76%). 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 | 51 | 51 | 64 | 75 | 86 | 95 | 93 | 94 | 90 | 78 | 60 | 45 |
| Low °F | -11 | -4 | -1 | 16 | 22 | 31 | 37 | 39 | 28 | 12 | -6 | -7 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.7 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 2.2 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 3.1 | 4.7 | 4.8 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Lake Chelan, closest first.
State Park
Fire Lookout
Fire Lookout
State Park
Fire LookoutCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Snowberry Bowl Campground22 km (14 mi)
- Steliko Lookout25 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Pine Flats Group Campground30 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Chelan?
What time is golden hour at Lake Chelan?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Chelan?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Chelan?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Chelan?
How far is Lake Chelan from Chelan?
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.