Lake De Smet — a lake in Johnson County, Wyoming at about 1,393 m (4,570 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 15.1 km (9.4 mi) NNW of Buffalo.
Lake De Smet is a lake located in Johnson County, Wyoming. It services Johnson County with water for industrial, agricultural, and municipal uses. With a maximum depth of 120 feet, and a capacity of 234,897 acre feet, Johnson County is responsible for 68.27% of its annual maintenance and operation costs, while the state of Wyoming covers the other 31.73%. First described by Pierre-Jean De Smet, a Jesuit priest, in a letter dated August 24, 1851, it was a highly saline lake capable of housing only limited aquatic life in its early years. Throughout its history, it changed hands multiple times, with its owners including Levi Leiter, Reynolds Mining, and Texaco. In 1865, the Powder River Expedition passed by the lake during its military operations against various Native American people, including the Lakota Sioux, the Cheyenne, and the Arapaho. The Lake Desmet Segment of the Bozeman...From the Wikipedia article “Lake De Smet”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake De Smet the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:23 AM | 55° NE | 8:56 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 33m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:41 AM | 123° ESE | 4:31 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 50m |
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 | 7:08 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:27 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 13m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 28m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 5:07 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 48m |
| June | 4:46 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:07 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:31 PM | 15h 32m |
| July | 5:02 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:25 PM | 15h 13m |
| August | 5:39 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 03m |
| September | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:53 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 6:33 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:48 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 37m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:25 AM | 3:41 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:02 PM | 8h 51m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 De Smet, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:01 AM – 5:41 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:58 AM – 4:28 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:05 AM – 3:25 AM | 2.3 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:23 PM – 2:53 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:08 PM – 1:28 AM | 2.3 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:07 PM – 11:27 PM | 1.3 | 16° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:59 PM – 9:29 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 21.87 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 40% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (67%). 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 | 68 | 68 | 80 | 87 | 96 | 105 | 107 | 106 | 102 | 91 | 76 | 63 |
| Low °F | -9 | -10 | -11 | 12 | 23 | 35 | 44 | 39 | 26 | 7 | -4 | -9 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.8 | 3.2 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 0.5 |
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.
- 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.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Hunter Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Middle Fork25 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Hettinger Group Area26 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Tie Hack26 km (16 mi) · reservable
- South Fork (Wyoming)27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake De Smet?
What time is golden hour at Lake De Smet?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake De Smet?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake De Smet?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake De Smet?
How far is Lake De Smet from Buffalo?
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.