Loon Lake — a lake in Stevens County, Washington at about 727 m (2,385 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Deer Park, about 15.1 km (9.4 mi) away (Loon Lake lies NW of town).
Loon Lake is a 1,100-acre (450 ha) lake located in Stevens County, Washington, 30 miles (48 km) north-northwest of Spokane, Washington at an elevation of 726 metres (2,382 ft). The lake is about two miles wide, one mile long, and has a maximum depth of 100 feet (30 m). Loon Lake was named for the wild loons near the water.From the Wikipedia article “Loon Lake (Washington)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Loon 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) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:51 AM | 53° NE | 8:55 PM | 308° NW | 65° | 16h 03m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:38 AM | 89° E | 6:50 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:39 AM | 126° SE | 4:00 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 | 7:01 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:27 AM | 3:34 PM | 4:25 PM | 5:00 PM | 8h 48m |
| February | 6:26 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:45 PM | 10h 15m |
| March | 6:34 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:29 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:43 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 39m |
| May | 4:35 AM | 5:12 AM | 5:58 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:23 PM | 9:00 PM | 15h 11m |
| June | 4:10 AM | 4:51 AM | 5:40 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:34 PM | 16h 02m |
| July | 4:28 AM | 5:07 AM | 5:54 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:26 PM | 15h 40m |
| August | 5:12 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 20m |
| September | 5:57 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:24 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:39 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:21 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:35 PM | 10h 53m |
| November | 6:24 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:46 AM | 3:26 PM | 4:14 PM | 4:48 PM | 9h 16m |
| December | 6:58 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:28 AM | 3:05 PM | 3:58 PM | 4:35 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 Loon 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 3 (rural sky), 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 | 3:26 AM – 3:56 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:28 AM – 2:38 AM | 1.2 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:07 AM – 1:27 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:33 PM – 12:33 AM | 1.0 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:11 PM – 10:31 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.6 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 34% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (80%). 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 | 37 | 49 | 63 | 75 | 87 | 98 | 101 | 103 | 94 | 82 | 57 | 41 |
| Low °F | -30 | -23 | -15 | 15 | 25 | 31 | 39 | 39 | 26 | 9 | -23 | -19 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.4 | 2.4 | 3.0 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 2.4 | 3.6 | 3.6 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Loon Lake?
What time is golden hour at Loon Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Loon Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Loon Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Loon Lake?
How far is Loon Lake from Deer Park?
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.