![Canada goose trio on Goose Lake, Anchorage [1]](https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Canada_goose_trio_on_Goose_Lake%2C_Anchorage.jpg/960px-Canada_goose_trio_on_Goose_Lake%2C_Anchorage.jpg)
Goose Lake is a lake in Anchorage Municipality, Alaska. The nearest town is Anchorage, about 4.9 km (3.0 mi) away (Goose Lake lies ESE of town).
Goose Lake is a small lake in Anchorage in the U.S. state of Alaska, located near the University of Alaska Anchorage, 1.2 miles (1.9 km) south-east of confluence of North and South Forks Chester Creek, and 2.8 miles (4.5 km) south-east of Anchorage, Cook Inlet Low. It is a popular swimming location in summer, with one of two municipal beaches, and is connected to the city's extensive trail system. It is a kettle lake.From the Wikipedia article “Goose Lake (Anchorage)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Goose 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) | 8:01 AM | 89° E | 8:14 PM | 272° W | 29° | 12h 13m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:21 AM | 32° NNE | 11:43 PM | 329° NNW | 52° | 19h 22m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:44 AM | 88° E | 8:01 PM | 272° W | 29° | 12h 17m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:15 AM | 143° SE | 3:42 PM | 217° SW | 5° | 5h 27m |
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 | 9:01 AM | 9:57 AM | 11:45 AM | 2:33 PM | 4:22 PM | 5:18 PM | 6h 24m |
| February | 7:57 AM | 8:42 AM | 9:50 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:32 PM | 9h 04m |
| March | 7:34 AM | 8:17 AM | 9:14 AM | 7:04 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:44 PM | 11h 44m |
| April | 5:50 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:21 PM | 10:10 PM | 14h 42m |
| May | 4:02 AM | 5:13 AM | 6:24 AM | 9:29 PM | 10:40 PM | 11:51 PM | 17h 28m |
| June | — | 4:22 AM | 5:48 AM | 10:14 PM | 11:40 PM | — | 19h 18m |
| July | 3:19 AM | 4:52 AM | 6:10 AM | 10:01 PM | 11:20 PM | 12:52 AM | 18h 28m |
| August | 5:14 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:12 AM | 8:58 PM | 10:00 PM | 10:55 PM | 15h 51m |
| September | 6:43 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:24 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:24 PM | 9:08 PM | 12h 57m |
| October | 7:58 AM | 8:42 AM | 9:44 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:33 PM | 10h 07m |
| November | 8:15 AM | 9:06 AM | 10:33 AM | 2:57 PM | 4:23 PM | 5:15 PM | 7h 17m |
| December | 9:08 AM | 10:10 AM | — | — | 3:41 PM | 4:43 PM | 5h 31m |
Local time (America/Anchorage), 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: 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 ≈ 18.7 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 0.5+ 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 63% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (83%). 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 | 40 | 40 | 52 | 62 | 70 | 81 | 83 | 80 | 67 | 56 | 43 | 39 |
| Low °F | -25 | -20 | -21 | -1 | 15 | 33 | 39 | 35 | 19 | -1 | -18 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.0 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 3.4 | 2.9 | 2.5 |
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
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Goose Lake, closest first.
Botanical Garden
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Goose Lake?
What time is golden hour at Goose Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Goose Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Goose Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Goose Lake?
How far is Goose Lake from Anchorage?
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.