Iliamna Lake is a lake in Lake and Peninsula Borough, Alaska. It sits roughly 196 km (122 mi) W of Homer.
Iliamna Lake or Lake Iliamna ( IL-ee-AM-nə; Yup'ik: Nanvarpak; Dena'ina Athabascan: Nila Vena) is a lake in southwest Alaska, at the north end of the Alaska Peninsula, between Kvichak Bay and Cook Inlet, about 100 miles (160 km) west of Seldovia, Alaska. It shares a name with the Iliamna River, which flows into it, and the nearby community of Iliamna, Alaska. It is the largest lake in Alaska, 7th largest lake in the United States, and twenty-fourth in North America. Covering about 2,600 km2 (1,000 sq mi), Iliamna Lake is 77 miles (124 km) long and up to 22 miles (35 km) wide, with a maximum depth of 988 feet (301 m). Through the Kvichak River, its waters drain into Bristol Bay.From the Wikipedia article “Iliamna Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Iliamna Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 36° (NE) at the June solstice and 140° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 324° (NW) in June to 221° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 54° in summer but only 7° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 8:22 AM | 89° E | 8:35 PM | 272° W | 30° | 12h 12m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:02 AM | 36° NE | 11:44 PM | 324° NW | 54° | 18h 42m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 8:06 AM | 88° E | 8:22 PM | 272° W | 31° | 12h 16m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:19 AM | 140° SE | 4:19 PM | 221° SW | 7° | 6h 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
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 | 9:13 AM | 10:05 AM | 11:35 AM | 3:25 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:47 PM | 6h 51m |
| February | 8:14 AM | 8:57 AM | 10:00 AM | 5:10 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:56 PM | 9h 16m |
| March | 7:56 AM | 8:37 AM | 9:32 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:23 PM | 9:03 PM | 11h 46m |
| April | 6:19 AM | 7:05 AM | 8:01 AM | 8:40 PM | 9:36 PM | 10:22 PM | 14h 32m |
| May | 4:44 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:52 AM | 9:43 PM | 10:49 PM | 11:50 PM | 17h 03m |
| June | 3:28 AM | 5:02 AM | 6:19 AM | 10:24 PM | 11:41 PM | 1:14 AM | 18h 39m |
| July | 4:15 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:40 AM | 10:13 PM | 11:24 PM | 12:38 AM | 17h 55m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:37 AM | 9:14 PM | 10:13 PM | 11:03 PM | 15h 35m |
| September | 7:08 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:44 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:24 PM | 12h 53m |
| October | 8:18 AM | 8:59 AM | 9:58 AM | 6:15 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:55 PM | 10h 14m |
| November | 8:28 AM | 9:16 AM | 10:34 AM | 3:38 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:43 PM | 7h 38m |
| December | 9:18 AM | 10:14 AM | 12:08 PM | 2:24 PM | 4:18 PM | 5:14 PM | 6h 04m |
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 | — | -5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| 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: 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 66% 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 | 42 | 41 | 46 | 64 | 76 | 80 | 86 | 82 | 68 | 55 | 48 | 44 |
| Low °F | -44 | -39 | -30 | -12 | 13 | 37 | 41 | 36 | 26 | -9 | -30 | -40 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 2.6 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 5.0 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 3.2 |
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 lake
- 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.
- Expose for the brighter sky; reflections are typically half a stop to a stop darker.
- After sunset, long exposures smooth wind ripples into glass.
- 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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Iliamna Lake?
What time is golden hour at Iliamna Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Iliamna Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Iliamna Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Iliamna Lake?
How far is Iliamna Lake from Homer?
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.