Grouse Lake is a lake in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska at about 95 m (312 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Bear Creek, about 4.3 km (2.7 mi) away (Grouse Lake lies NNE of town).
Lake Grouse (or Grouse Lake) is a small lake of glacial origin located on the Kenai Peninsula in the U.S. state of Alaska, approximately 10 km (6.2 mi) north of Seward. The name first appeared in a 1906 United States Geological Survey record reported (from a local name) by cartographer Moffit. Salvelinus malma (Dolly Varden) trout can be fished in this lake. Ice fishing is possible from December to April.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Grouse”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Grouse Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 35° (NE) at the June solstice and 141° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 326° (NW) in June to 219° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 53° in summer but only 6° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:59 AM | 89° E | 8:12 PM | 272° W | 30° | 12h 13m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:32 AM | 35° NE | 11:28 PM | 326° NW | 53° | 18h 57m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:43 AM | 88° E | 7:59 PM | 272° W | 30° | 12h 16m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:02 AM | 141° SE | 3:51 PM | 219° SW | 6° | 5h 48m |
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 | 8:54 AM | 9:47 AM | 11:23 AM | 2:52 PM | 4:28 PM | 5:21 PM | 6h 41m |
| February | 7:53 AM | 8:37 AM | 9:42 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:32 PM | 9h 11m |
| March | 7:33 AM | 8:15 AM | 9:10 AM | 7:04 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:41 PM | 11h 45m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:16 PM | 10:03 PM | 14h 36m |
| May | 4:14 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:26 AM | 9:23 PM | 10:31 PM | 11:36 PM | 17h 12m |
| June | 2:43 AM | 4:32 AM | 5:53 AM | 10:05 PM | 11:26 PM | 1:15 AM | 18h 53m |
| July | 3:40 AM | 5:00 AM | 6:14 AM | 9:54 PM | 11:08 PM | 12:28 AM | 18h 08m |
| August | 5:20 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:13 AM | 8:53 PM | 9:54 PM | 10:45 PM | 15h 41m |
| September | 6:44 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:21 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:21 PM | 9:03 PM | 12h 55m |
| October | 7:56 AM | 8:38 AM | 9:38 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:32 PM | 10h 11m |
| November | 8:08 AM | 8:58 AM | 10:19 AM | 3:08 PM | 4:28 PM | 5:18 PM | 7h 30m |
| December | 9:00 AM | 9:58 AM | 12:08 PM | 1:39 PM | 3:50 PM | 4:48 PM | 5h 52m |
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 | — | -11° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -11° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -21° | — |
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 ≈ 21.86 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 69% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (84%). 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 | 34 | 34 | 37 | 46 | 59 | 76 | 77 | 75 | 62 | 49 | 41 | 36 |
| Low °F | -22 | -18 | -24 | -3 | 13 | 30 | 35 | 32 | 23 | -2 | -15 | -18 |
| Precip. (in) | 6.1 | 5.9 | 4.4 | 4.9 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 5.0 | 6.7 | 8.4 | 7.7 | 6.7 | 7.3 |
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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Grouse Lake, closest first.
Lake
Scenic Viewpoint
Mountain PeakScenic Viewpoint
GlacierCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Dale Clemens Cabin2.2 km (1.4 mi) · reservable
- Primrose Campground15.5 km (9.6 mi) · reservable
- Ptarmigan Creek23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Lower Paradise Lake Cabin23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Trail River Cabin24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Grouse Lake?
What time is golden hour at Grouse Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Grouse Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Grouse Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Grouse Lake?
How far is Grouse Lake from Bear Creek?
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.