Aropuk Lake — a lake in Bethel Census Area, Alaska — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Bethel, about 117 km (73 mi) away (Aropuk Lake lies WNW of town).
Aropuk Lake is a 15-mile-long (24-kilometer) lake in the U.S. state of Alaska, located 15 miles (24 km) north of Baird Inlet.From the Wikipedia article “Aropuk Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Aropuk Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 32° (NNE) at the June solstice and 143° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 329° (NNW) in June to 217° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 52° in summer but only 5° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 8:57 AM | 89° E | 9:10 PM | 272° W | 29° | 12h 13m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:17 AM | 32° NNE | 12:38 AM | 329° NNW | 52° | 19h 21m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 8:40 AM | 88° E | 8:57 PM | 272° W | 29° | 12h 17m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 11:10 AM | 143° SE | 4:38 PM | 217° SW | 5° | 5h 28m |
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 | 9:57 AM | 10:53 AM | 12:40 PM | 3:30 PM | 5:18 PM | 6:14 PM | 6h 25m |
| February | 8:52 AM | 9:38 AM | 10:46 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:42 PM | 7:28 PM | 9h 04m |
| March | 8:30 AM | 9:13 AM | 10:10 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:40 PM | 11h 45m |
| April | 6:46 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:34 AM | 9:18 PM | 10:17 PM | 11:05 PM | 14h 42m |
| May | 4:59 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:20 AM | 10:25 PM | 11:36 PM | 12:46 AM | 17h 27m |
| June | — | 5:18 AM | 6:44 AM | 11:09 PM | 12:35 AM | — | 19h 17m |
| July | 4:16 AM | 5:48 AM | 7:07 AM | 10:57 PM | 12:15 AM | 1:47 AM | 18h 27m |
| August | 6:11 AM | 7:05 AM | 8:08 AM | 9:53 PM | 10:56 PM | 11:50 PM | 15h 51m |
| September | 7:39 AM | 8:23 AM | 9:20 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:19 PM | 10:03 PM | 12h 56m |
| October | 8:54 AM | 9:38 AM | 10:40 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:29 PM | 10h 07m |
| November | 9:10 AM | 10:02 AM | 11:29 AM | 3:53 PM | 5:20 PM | 6:11 PM | 7h 18m |
| December | 10:03 AM | 11:05 AM | — | — | 4:37 PM | 5:39 PM | 5h 32m |
Local time (America/Nome), 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
The Milky Way's bright core (in Sagittarius) barely clears the southern horizon at this latitude, so focus on winter Milky Way, aurora or star trails instead.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -12° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -9° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -12° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -22° | — |
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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.95 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 1.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show March as the clearest month (about 54% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (82%). 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 | 36 | 35 | 35 | 58 | 72 | 77 | 87 | 81 | 70 | 54 | 45 | 40 |
| Low °F | -44 | -40 | -27 | -15 | 6 | 27 | 33 | 32 | 26 | -5 | -33 | -40 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.7 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 2.9 | 2.4 | 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 lake
- 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.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Aropuk Lake?
What time is golden hour at Aropuk Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Aropuk Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Aropuk Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Aropuk Lake?
How far is Aropuk Lake from Bethel?
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.