Imuruk Lake — a lake in Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska at about 311 m (1,020 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers.
Imuruk Lake (Inupiaq: Imaġruk or Narvaġruk) is the largest body of fresh water in Seward Peninsula in the U.S. state of Alaska. It measures 31 square miles (80 km2) and has a drainage basin of 102 square miles (260 km2), It lies on top of a lava plateau at an elevation of 960 feet (290 m). The drainage basin is relatively flat, as the maximum elevation is only about 1,600 feet (490 m). A low gap in the divide between the lake and the head of the right fork of Goodhope River rises only a few feet above the lake. The Fairhaven Ditch takes practically all its water from the lake. Serpentine Hot Springs flow to the Serpentine River, 47 miles (76 km) northwest of Imuruk Lake.From the Wikipedia article “Imuruk Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Imuruk Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 6° (N) at the June solstice and 159° (SSE) in late December. Sunset moves from 354° (N) in June to 202° (SSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 48° in summer but only 1° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 8:53 AM | 88° E | 9:09 PM | 272° W | 24° | 12h 15m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 3:21 AM | 6° N | 2:30 AM | 354° N | 48° | 23h 08m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 8:36 AM | 88° E | 8:56 PM | 273° W | 25° | 12h 20m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 12:18 PM | 159° SSE | 3:26 PM | 202° SSW | 1° | 3h 08m |
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 | 10:24 AM | 11:40 AM | — | — | 4:26 PM | 5:42 PM | 4h 46m |
| February | 9:02 AM | 9:56 AM | 11:22 AM | 4:53 PM | 6:19 PM | 7:14 PM | 8h 23m |
| March | 8:22 AM | 9:12 AM | 10:20 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:43 PM | 11h 41m |
| April | 6:14 AM | 7:14 AM | 8:24 AM | 9:22 PM | 10:32 PM | 11:33 PM | 15h 18m |
| May | — | 5:20 AM | 6:53 AM | 10:47 PM | 12:20 AM | — | 19h 00m |
| June | — | 3:29 AM | 6:04 AM | 11:44 PM | 2:19 AM | — | 22h 50m |
| July | — | 4:40 AM | 6:33 AM | 11:25 PM | 1:18 AM | — | 20h 38m |
| August | 5:22 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:51 AM | 10:05 PM | 11:21 PM | 12:34 AM | 16h 46m |
| September | 7:23 AM | 8:15 AM | 9:21 AM | 8:16 PM | 9:23 PM | 10:15 PM | 13h 08m |
| October | 8:57 AM | 9:49 AM | 11:04 AM | 6:15 PM | 7:30 PM | 8:21 PM | 9h 41m |
| November | 9:31 AM | 10:37 AM | — | — | 4:40 PM | 5:45 PM | 6h 03m |
| December | 10:38 AM | 12:11 PM | — | — | 3:27 PM | 5:00 PM | 3h 16m |
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 | — | -14° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -11° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -11° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -9° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | No darkness | — | — | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -14° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -12° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -14° | — |
| 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 0.0+ 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 53% average cloud cover) and October as the cloudiest (81%). 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 | 35 | 34 | 33 | 48 | 72 | 81 | 82 | 75 | 63 | 52 | 36 | 34 |
| Low °F | -45 | -46 | -34 | -20 | -2 | 22 | 30 | 27 | 18 | -2 | -23 | -33 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 1.1 |
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
- 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.
- 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 Imuruk Lake, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Imuruk Lake?
What time is golden hour at Imuruk Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Imuruk Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Imuruk Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Imuruk 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.