Lake Aleknagik is a lake in Dillingham Census Area, Alaska. The nearest town is Dillingham, about 39 km (24 mi) away (Lake Aleknagik lies NNW of town).
Aleknagik Lake is a lake in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is 20 miles (32 km) long by 2.5 miles (4 km) wide. The village of Aleknagik is on its southeast shore. Aleknagik is a Yupik word meaning "wrong way home". Yupiks returning to their homes along the Nushagak River would sometimes become lost in the fog and be swept up the Wood River to Aleknagik Lake by the tide.From the Wikipedia article “Aleknagik Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Aleknagik the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 37° (NE) at the June solstice and 139° (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) | 8:37 AM | 89° E | 8:50 PM | 272° W | 31° | 12h 12m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:19 AM | 37° NE | 11:57 PM | 324° NW | 54° | 18h 37m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 8:21 AM | 88° E | 8:37 PM | 272° W | 31° | 12h 16m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:32 AM | 139° SE | 4:36 PM | 221° SW | 7° | 6h 04m |
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 | 9:27 AM | 10:18 AM | 11:47 AM | 3:44 PM | 5:12 PM | 6:03 PM | 6h 54m |
| February | 8:29 AM | 9:11 AM | 10:14 AM | 5:27 PM | 6:29 PM | 7:12 PM | 9h 18m |
| March | 8:11 AM | 8:52 AM | 9:46 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:18 PM | 11h 46m |
| April | 6:35 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:16 AM | 8:55 PM | 9:51 PM | 10:36 PM | 14h 30m |
| May | 5:02 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:08 AM | 9:57 PM | 11:02 PM | 12:03 AM | 17h 00m |
| June | 3:49 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:36 AM | 10:38 PM | 11:54 PM | 1:24 AM | 18h 34m |
| July | 4:33 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:56 AM | 10:27 PM | 11:38 PM | 12:50 AM | 17h 52m |
| August | 6:04 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:53 AM | 9:29 PM | 10:27 PM | 11:17 PM | 15h 33m |
| September | 7:24 AM | 8:05 AM | 8:59 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:39 PM | 12h 53m |
| October | 8:33 AM | 9:14 AM | 10:12 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:29 PM | 8:10 PM | 10h 15m |
| November | 8:43 AM | 9:30 AM | 10:47 AM | 3:55 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:59 PM | 7h 41m |
| December | 9:32 AM | 10:27 AM | 12:18 PM | 2:45 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:31 PM | 6h 08m |
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 | — | -5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| 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 2.0+ 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 54% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (79%). 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 | 36 | 42 | 55 | 74 | 81 | 88 | 80 | 72 | 55 | 46 | 37 |
| Low °F | -38 | -39 | -32 | -20 | 3 | 31 | 38 | 34 | 25 | -12 | -25 | -40 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.6 | 3.9 | 2.4 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 5.3 | 5.0 | 3.9 | 4.3 |
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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Lake Aleknagik?
What time is golden hour at Lake Aleknagik?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Aleknagik?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Aleknagik?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Aleknagik?
How far is Lake Aleknagik from Dillingham?
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.