Vancouver Lake — a lake in Clark County, Washington — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Lake Shore, about 2.7 km (1.7 mi) away (Vancouver Lake lies WSW of town).
Vancouver Lake is located just west of Vancouver, Washington, United States, north of the Columbia River and Portland, Oregon, south of Ridgefield, Washington, and the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. The lake is shallow, with a maximum depth of 12 to 15 feet (3.7 to 4.6 m) and a mean depth of less than 3 feet (0.9 m). There is an island in the northern half of the lake named Turtle Island. The island was formed from the tailings of an Army Corps of Engineers dredging project, which dredged around the perimeter of the lake in the early 1980s. Lake River flows from the north shore to the Columbia River near Ridgefield. Due to seasonal variation in relative river and lake levels, Lake River experiences intermittent flow reversal and flows into Vancouver Lake for considerable periods of time.From the Wikipedia article “Vancouver Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Vancouver Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 236° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:15 AM | 89° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:22 AM | 54° NE | 9:05 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 43m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:59 AM | 89° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:49 AM | 124° SE | 4:30 PM | 236° WSW | 21° | 8h 41m |
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 | 7:15 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:36 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 05m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 24m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:47 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 32m |
| May | 5:06 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 55m |
| June | 4:44 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:08 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:41 PM | 15h 41m |
| July | 5:00 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:35 PM | 15h 22m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 08m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:54 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 6:58 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:09 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:57 PM | 10h 59m |
| November | 6:39 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:57 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 30m |
| December | 7:11 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:35 AM | 3:38 PM | 4:28 PM | 5:02 PM | 8h 42m |
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 Vancouver Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition), 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:17 AM – 5:37 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:17 AM – 4:27 AM | 1.2 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:18 AM – 3:18 AM | 2.0 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:43 PM – 2:33 AM | 2.8 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:24 PM – 1:24 AM | 2.0 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:18 PM – 11:18 PM | 1.0 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:06 PM – 9:16 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.54 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 39% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (80%). 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 | 62 | 66 | 74 | 84 | 93 | 100 | 105 | 104 | 101 | 87 | 67 | 61 |
| Low °F | 8 | 15 | 22 | 27 | 33 | 39 | 45 | 44 | 36 | 24 | 15 | 10 |
| Precip. (in) | 8.4 | 6.1 | 6.8 | 4.8 | 3.1 | 2.2 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 2.3 | 5.3 | 8.6 | 9.7 |
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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Vancouver Lake, closest first.
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lake
Beach
Scenic Viewpoint
National Wildlife RefugeScenic Viewpoint
Waterfall
Botanical GardenFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Vancouver Lake?
What time is golden hour at Vancouver Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Vancouver Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Vancouver Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Vancouver Lake?
How far is Vancouver Lake from Lake Shore?
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.