Skilak Lake is a lake in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska at about 59 m (194 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 25 km (16 mi) ESE of Funny River.
Skilak Lake (Dena'ina: Q'es Dudilen Bena) is a large lake on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska. The lake is part of the Kenai River system but also contains glacial runoff, being fed by meltwater from Skilak Glacier. The water is exceptionally clear with a mostly rocky bottom, relatively free of aquatic vegetation. It is within the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, and can be accessed by Skilak Lake Loop Road via the Sterling Highway. Maximum depth is 632 feet (193 m), it is 15 miles (24 km) long and up to 4 miles (6.4 km) wide in places. Early Russian explorers mistakenly believed Skilak and Tustumena Lake to be a single body of water. It is a popular destination for Alaskans due to it being only about a half-hour drive from Soldotna, and approximately two hours from Anchorage. There are two campgrounds at the lake, one is a developed campground with a host, the other un-hosted and with...From the Wikipedia article “Skilak Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Skilak Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 34° (NE) at the June solstice and 142° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 326° (NNW) in June to 219° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 53° in summer but only 6° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 8:03 AM | 89° E | 8:16 PM | 272° W | 30° | 12h 13m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:33 AM | 34° NE | 11:35 PM | 326° NNW | 53° | 19h 02m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:47 AM | 88° E | 8:03 PM | 272° W | 30° | 12h 17m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:08 AM | 142° SE | 3:52 PM | 219° SW | 6° | 5h 44m |
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 | 8:59 AM | 9:53 AM | 11:31 AM | 2:52 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:24 PM | 6h 37m |
| February | 7:57 AM | 8:42 AM | 9:47 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:36 PM | 9h 10m |
| March | 7:37 AM | 8:19 AM | 9:15 AM | 7:07 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:45 PM | 11h 45m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:20 PM | 10:08 PM | 14h 37m |
| May | 4:15 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:29 AM | 9:28 PM | 10:36 PM | 11:42 PM | 17h 16m |
| June | 2:35 AM | 4:33 AM | 5:55 AM | 10:10 PM | 11:32 PM | 1:30 AM | 18h 59m |
| July | 3:40 AM | 5:02 AM | 6:17 AM | 9:59 PM | 11:14 PM | 12:36 AM | 18h 12m |
| August | 5:23 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:58 PM | 9:58 PM | 10:51 PM | 15h 44m |
| September | 6:47 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:25 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:25 PM | 9:08 PM | 12h 55m |
| October | 8:00 AM | 8:43 AM | 9:43 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:36 PM | 10h 10m |
| November | 8:13 AM | 9:03 AM | 10:25 AM | 3:09 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:21 PM | 7h 28m |
| December | 9:05 AM | 10:04 AM | 12:23 PM | 1:32 PM | 3:51 PM | 4:50 PM | 5h 48m |
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 | — | -6° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.88 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 0.5+ 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 70% average cloud cover) and December 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 | 37 | 39 | 50 | 64 | 72 | 82 | 85 | 82 | 69 | 59 | 47 | 42 |
| Low °F | -23 | -21 | -9 | -4 | 22 | 35 | 40 | 38 | 27 | 2 | -10 | -18 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 3.0 | 2.4 | 2.2 |
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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Skilak Lake, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Hidden Lake Campground9.0 km (5.6 mi) · reservable
- Barber Cabin (Chugach National Forest, Ak)19.2 km (11.9 mi) · reservable
- Aspen Flats Cabin (Chugach National Forest, Ak)20 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Russian River21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Upper Russian Lake Cabin25 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Skilak Lake?
What time is golden hour at Skilak Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Skilak Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Skilak Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Skilak Lake?
How far is Skilak Lake from Funny River?
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.