Ohop Lake is a lake in Pierce County, Washington at about 161 m (528 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 4.2 km (2.6 mi) N of Eatonville.
Ohop Lake is a long and narrow lake near Eatonville, Washington, in Pierce County. It covers 218.2 acres and is situated in the Ohop Valley. It can be accessed through the state public boat launch located on the southern end. The lake is generally warm and slightly murky, making it popular for water sports. Ohop Lake is also popular for fishing.From the Wikipedia article “Ohop Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Ohop Lake 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 307° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:13 AM | 89° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:15 AM | 53° NE | 9:08 PM | 307° NW | 67° | 15h 53m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:52 AM | 125° SE | 4:24 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 31m |
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 | 7:51 AM | 8:40 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:22 PM | 8h 57m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 20m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:45 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:50 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 36m |
| May | 4:59 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:14 PM | 15h 03m |
| June | 4:35 AM | 5:15 AM | 6:02 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:06 PM | 9:46 PM | 15h 52m |
| July | 4:52 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:16 AM | 8:15 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:39 PM | 15h 31m |
| August | 5:34 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 14m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 6:57 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:09 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:54 PM | 10h 56m |
| November | 6:40 AM | 7:13 AM | 8:00 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 23m |
| December | 7:13 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:40 AM | 3:30 PM | 4:22 PM | 4:57 PM | 8h 33m |
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 Ohop Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:37 AM – 5:37 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:30 AM – 4:20 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:37 AM – 3:07 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:02 AM – 2:12 AM | 2.2 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:37 PM – 1:07 AM | 1.5 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:23 PM – 11:03 PM | 0.7 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 20.47 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 48% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (81%). 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 | 60 | 59 | 70 | 84 | 90 | 95 | 101 | 98 | 95 | 83 | 65 | 57 |
| Low °F | 4 | 5 | 16 | 22 | 29 | 37 | 41 | 42 | 30 | 22 | 6 | 3 |
| Precip. (in) | 9.6 | 6.8 | 7.5 | 5.4 | 3.7 | 2.6 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 3.0 | 6.6 | 10.1 | 9.8 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Ohop Lake, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
LakeWaterfall
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Ohop Lake?
What time is golden hour at Ohop Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Ohop Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Ohop Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Ohop Lake?
How far is Ohop Lake from Eatonville?
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.