Salmon Lake — a lake in Nome Census Area, Alaska at about 137 m (449 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 48 km (30 mi) NNE of Nome.
Salmon Lake (native name, Nahwazuk, meaning "salmon") is a natural lake on the Seward Peninsula in the U.S. state of Alaska. Situated 35 miles (56 km) north of Cape Nome, it drains into Port Clarence through Kruzgamepa River. The lake lies at the foot of the Kigluaik Mountains at an elevation of about 442 feet (135 m). It has a water surface area of 1,800 acres (730 ha) and a drainage area of 81 square miles (210 km2). Its principal supply comes from Grand Central River, which enters it at its western end. A number of small streams also enter the lake from both the north and the south; Fox Creek and Jasper Creek are the most notable of these. Efforts to dam the lake in order to provide power and water supply to mining endeavors occurred from 1906-1907, However these plans were later dropped due to disputes over land ownership and water rights.From the Wikipedia article “Salmon Lake (Alaska)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Salmon Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 15° (NNE) at the June solstice and 155° (SSE) in late December. Sunset moves from 346° (NNW) in June to 205° (SSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 49° in summer but only 2° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 9:01 AM | 89° E | 9:16 PM | 272° W | 25° | 12h 15m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:05 AM | 15° NNE | 2:00 AM | 346° NNW | 49° | 21h 55m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 8:44 AM | 88° E | 9:03 PM | 272° W | 25° | 12h 19m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 12:10 PM | 155° SSE | 3:48 PM | 205° SSW | 2° | 3h 39m |
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 | 10:26 AM | 11:37 AM | — | — | 4:43 PM | 5:54 PM | 5h 06m |
| February | 9:07 AM | 10:00 AM | 11:22 AM | 5:08 PM | 6:30 PM | 7:23 PM | 8h 31m |
| March | 8:30 AM | 9:19 AM | 10:25 AM | 7:55 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:49 PM | 11h 41m |
| April | 6:27 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:33 AM | 9:29 PM | 10:37 PM | 11:34 PM | 15h 12m |
| May | 3:24 AM | 5:36 AM | 7:05 AM | 10:50 PM | 12:18 AM | 2:30 AM | 18h 42m |
| June | — | 4:08 AM | 6:19 AM | 11:44 PM | 1:54 AM | — | 21h 46m |
| July | — | 5:02 AM | 6:46 AM | 11:27 PM | 1:12 AM | — | 20h 10m |
| August | 5:39 AM | 6:48 AM | 8:01 AM | 10:10 PM | 11:23 PM | 12:32 AM | 16h 36m |
| September | 7:33 AM | 8:23 AM | 9:28 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:29 PM | 10:19 PM | 13h 06m |
| October | 9:04 AM | 9:54 AM | 11:06 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:29 PM | 9h 46m |
| November | 9:34 AM | 10:37 AM | 12:56 PM | 2:35 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:57 PM | 6h 17m |
| December | 10:38 AM | 12:03 PM | — | — | 3:49 PM | 5:14 PM | 3h 46m |
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 | — | -10° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -10° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -8° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | No darkness | — | — | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -13° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -11° | — |
| 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 58% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (78%). 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 | 35 | 34 | 46 | 68 | 70 | 80 | 72 | 63 | 53 | 39 | 36 |
| Low °F | -32 | -30 | -22 | -11 | 6 | 27 | 37 | 37 | 29 | 11 | -12 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.4 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 1.9 |
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 Salmon Lake, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Salmon Lake?
What time is golden hour at Salmon Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Salmon Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Salmon Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Salmon Lake?
How far is Salmon Lake from Nome?
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.