Sixmile Lake is a lake in Lake and Peninsula Borough, Alaska at about 77 m (253 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Homer, about 186 km (115 mi) away (Sixmile Lake lies WNW of town).
Six Mile Lake is a lake in southern Alaska between Lake Clark and Iliamna Lake. The Newhalen River drains Six Mile Lake into Iliamna Lake. The lake is about 5 km (3.1 mi) long and about 1 km (3/4 mile) wide. The very small city of Nondalton, populated by Native Alaskans but not connected by road, lies on the lake's western shores.From the Wikipedia article “Six Mile Lake (Alaska)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sixmile 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 325° (NW) in June to 220° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 53° in summer but only 7° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 8:21 AM | 89° E | 8:34 PM | 272° W | 30° | 12h 13m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:56 AM | 35° NE | 11:48 PM | 325° NW | 53° | 18h 52m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 8:05 AM | 88° E | 8:21 PM | 272° W | 30° | 12h 16m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:22 AM | 141° SE | 4:14 PM | 220° SW | 7° | 5h 52m |
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 | 9:14 AM | 10:07 AM | 11:41 AM | 3:17 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:44 PM | 6h 44m |
| February | 8:14 AM | 8:58 AM | 10:02 AM | 5:07 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:55 PM | 9h 13m |
| March | 7:55 AM | 8:36 AM | 9:32 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:22 PM | 9:03 PM | 11h 45m |
| April | 6:16 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:59 AM | 8:40 PM | 9:37 PM | 10:23 PM | 14h 34m |
| May | 4:38 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:49 AM | 9:44 PM | 10:51 PM | 11:55 PM | 17h 09m |
| June | 3:13 AM | 4:56 AM | 6:16 AM | 10:26 PM | 11:45 PM | 1:28 AM | 18h 48m |
| July | 4:06 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:37 AM | 10:14 PM | 11:27 PM | 12:45 AM | 18h 03m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:35 AM | 9:14 PM | 10:14 PM | 11:05 PM | 15h 39m |
| September | 7:06 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:43 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:25 PM | 12h 54m |
| October | 8:17 AM | 8:59 AM | 9:59 AM | 6:13 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:54 PM | 10h 12m |
| November | 8:29 AM | 9:18 AM | 10:38 AM | 3:32 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:40 PM | 7h 33m |
| December | 9:20 AM | 10:17 AM | 12:21 PM | 2:10 PM | 4:13 PM | 5:11 PM | 5h 56m |
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 | — | -4° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -6° | — |
| 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: 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 | 44 | 59 | 72 | 78 | 83 | 76 | 66 | 55 | 48 | 43 |
| Low °F | -34 | -29 | -21 | -5 | 17 | 38 | 42 | 38 | 29 | -3 | -26 | -31 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.6 | 3.6 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 4.1 | 4.8 | 6.0 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
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
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Sixmile Lake, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sixmile Lake?
What time is golden hour at Sixmile Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sixmile Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sixmile Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sixmile Lake?
How far is Sixmile Lake from Homer?
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.