Argyle Lake State Park is a state park in McDonough County, Illinois. It sits roughly 3.2 km (2.0 mi) N of Colchester.
Argyle Lake State Park is an Illinois state park located in Colchester, Illinois. The 1,700-acre (688 ha) park is home to the 93-acre (38 ha) Argyle Lake and 5 miles (8 km) of hiking trails and wooded campsites. The land for the state park was purchased by the state in 1948 from local farmers. Argyle Lake, an artificial lake, was later created by damming a nearby water source. The area now occupied by the lake was once the home of "Argyle Hollow," part of the 19th century stagecoach route between Galena and Beardstown. The region was a source of coal, clay and limestone. While many of the brick works, clay and pottery operations have since closed, some limestone quarries in the area are still in operation today. There have been numerous Bigfoot sightings at the lake in recent years.From the Wikipedia article “Argyle Lake State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Argyle Lake State Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:07 AM | 90° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:34 AM | 58° ENE | 8:38 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 04m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:51 AM | 89° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:24 AM | 121° ESE | 4:40 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 17m |
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
State parks often protect a signature feature — a gorge, lake or overlook — that is best in early morning before visitors and harsh light arrive.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:55 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 36m |
| February | 6:30 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 41m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:37 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 25m |
| June | 5:00 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:09 PM | 15h 03m |
| July | 5:14 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 47m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:17 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:21 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:47 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:21 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 57m |
| December | 6:49 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:04 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 18m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Argyle Lake State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:20 AM – 5:20 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:31 AM – 5:41 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:30 AM – 4:40 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:25 AM – 3:45 AM | 3.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:41 PM – 3:21 AM | 4.7 | 21° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:32 PM – 2:02 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:45 PM – 11:55 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:47 PM – 9:57 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:55 PM – 7:55 PM | 0.0 | 11° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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 ≈ 21.31 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 42% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (68%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 66 | 72 | 79 | 85 | 94 | 108 | 109 | 106 | 103 | 93 | 77 | 71 |
| Low °F | -28 | -11 | -5 | 18 | 32 | 44 | 51 | 46 | 35 | 20 | 9 | -9 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 2.3 | 2.0 |
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 state park
- Ask rangers about photography permits for commercial work, models or drones.
- Weekday mornings are the least crowded at popular viewpoints.
- Trail maps often mark overlooks — combine them with the sun azimuth to plan.
- Day-use fees or passes are common; buy them online before arriving.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Spring wildflowers and autumn color are peak seasons in most parks.
Suggested gear: Versatile zoom lens, Tripod, Park pass. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drone rules in state parks vary by state and even by park — many require a permit or ban recreational drone flights. Check the park's rules and the FAA B4UFLY app before flying.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Argyle Lake State Park?
What time is golden hour at Argyle Lake State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Argyle Lake State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Argyle Lake State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Argyle Lake State Park?
How far is Argyle Lake State Park from Colchester?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.