Army Lake is a ghost town in Walworth County, Wisconsin at about 253 m (830 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 2.7 km (1.7 mi) SW of Potter Lake.
East Troy is a town in Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,992 as of the 2020 census. The unincorporated communities of Hilburn, Lake Beulah, and Potter Lake are located in the town, as was the ghost town of Army Lake. East Troy is also home to a summer camp. The town is quiet with only a few businesses, the rest is farmland. During the winter, the population drastically drops as many homes are lake homes.From the Wikipedia article “East Troy (town), Wisconsin”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Army Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:58 AM | 90° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:16 AM | 56° ENE | 8:36 PM | 304° NW | 71° | 15h 20m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:41 AM | 89° E | 6:53 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:22 AM | 122° ESE | 4:23 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 01m |
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
Weathered wood and rusted metal show texture best in low-angle light; overcast skies suit interiors and moody black-and-white work.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:51 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 23m |
| February | 6:23 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:54 PM | 10h 34m |
| March | 6:38 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:44 AM | 6:23 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:43 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:51 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 4:59 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 38m |
| June | 4:40 AM | 5:15 AM | 5:58 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:10 PM | 15h 19m |
| July | 4:55 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:05 PM | 15h 02m |
| August | 5:30 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 57m |
| September | 6:06 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:11 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:34 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:39 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:41 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:29 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 46m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:04 AM | 3:35 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:53 PM | 9h 03m |
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 Army Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:35 AM – 5:25 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:38 AM – 4:28 AM | 1.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:39 AM – 3:29 AM | 2.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:51 PM – 2:51 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:40 PM – 1:30 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:46 PM – 11:36 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:42 PM – 9:32 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 19.98 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 September as the clearest month (about 47% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (71%). 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 | 57 | 65 | 79 | 83 | 90 | 96 | 104 | 99 | 93 | 86 | 73 | 66 |
| Low °F | -41 | -22 | -15 | 13 | 26 | 36 | 45 | 44 | 33 | 16 | 2 | -24 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.6 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 5.0 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.1 | 2.3 | 2.2 |
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 ghost town
- Leave everything as you found it; removing artifacts from public land is illegal.
- Respect private property and closures: many ghost towns are on private land or protected historic sites — never enter unstable buildings.
- For interiors with windows, blend two exposures (one for inside, one for the view) instead of relying on HDR alone.
- Old buildings under the Milky Way make strong night images in dark rural skies.
- Look for details: door hinges, faded signs, square nails and window frames tell the story.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: High-elevation mining towns are reachable mostly from June to October; desert ghost towns are best in spring and autumn.
Suggested gear: Wide-angle lens, Tripod, Headlamp, Sturdy boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Private property: Many ghost towns sit on private land or protected historic sites. Respect signs, never enter unstable buildings and leave artifacts in place.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Army Lake, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Army Lake?
What time is golden hour at Army Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Army Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Army Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Army Lake?
How far is Army Lake from Potter Lake?
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.