Rock Lake is a lake in Whitman County, Washington at about 588 m (1,929 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Cheney, about 35 km (22 mi) away (Rock Lake lies SSW of town).
Rock Lake is the deepest and largest of all scabland lakes left behind from the Missoula Floods, and holds that distinction for all of eastern Washington. At its deepest, it is more than 360 feet (110 m) deep, although the official measurement is uncertain. The lake is over 7 miles (11 km) long and averages 1 mile (1.6 km) in width, and is accessible via a solitary landing area located on the south end. The rest of the shoreline is inaccessible to vehicles, other than a few private properties. Located approximately 30 miles (48 km) south of Cheney, Rock Lake is in a moderately remote location. Other towns in the area include Sprague, St. John, and Rosalia, although all are a number of miles away.From the Wikipedia article “Rock Lake (Washington)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Rock 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 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) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:56 AM | 53° NE | 8:51 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 55m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:38 AM | 89° E | 6:50 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:35 AM | 125° SE | 4:04 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 29m |
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 | 6:59 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:23 AM | 3:39 PM | 4:28 PM | 5:03 PM | 8h 55m |
| February | 6:25 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 19m |
| March | 6:34 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:31 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:44 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 36m |
| May | 4:39 AM | 5:16 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:57 PM | 15h 05m |
| June | 4:15 AM | 4:55 AM | 5:43 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:29 PM | 15h 54m |
| July | 4:33 AM | 5:11 AM | 5:57 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:22 PM | 15h 33m |
| August | 5:15 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 15m |
| September | 5:58 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:24 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 6:39 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:23 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:35 PM | 10h 55m |
| November | 6:22 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:43 AM | 3:30 PM | 4:17 PM | 4:50 PM | 9h 21m |
| December | 6:56 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:23 AM | 3:10 PM | 4:02 PM | 4:38 PM | 8h 31m |
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 Rock Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.0 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | 5:19 AM – 5:19 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:14 AM – 4:04 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:22 AM – 2:52 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:49 PM – 1:49 AM | 2.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:23 PM – 12:43 AM | 1.3 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:07 PM – 10:47 PM | 0.7 | 12° | 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: 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 ≈ 21.71 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 30% 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 | 53 | 56 | 69 | 82 | 90 | 102 | 100 | 101 | 96 | 84 | 64 | 52 |
| Low °F | -19 | -12 | -7 | 23 | 26 | 35 | 42 | 43 | 29 | 11 | -2 | -13 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 2.8 | 3.0 |
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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Rock Lake, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Rock Lake?
What time is golden hour at Rock Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Rock Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Rock Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Rock Lake?
How far is Rock Lake from Cheney?
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.