Swan Lake — a lake in Sitka City and Borough, Alaska — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to Sitka National Historical Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply.
Swan Lake (Tlingit: X̱’wáat’ Héen Áakʼu), is a small lake located in the center of the town of Sitka, Alaska. It is a man-made lake, created during the Russian occupation of Alaska as an income source during the winter. Russians would export ice to southern communities in the Pacific Northwest. The crew of the USS Dixon AS-37 built improvements in June 1988. Swan Lake contains rainbow trout, cutthroat trout and dolly varden. There is a small dock to fish from located on the east side of the lake.From the Wikipedia article “Swan Lake (Alaska)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Swan Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 41° (NE) at the June solstice and 135° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 319° (NW) in June to 225° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 56° in summer but only 10° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 33° | 12h 11m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:07 AM | 41° NE | 10:01 PM | 319° NW | 56° | 17h 54m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:47 AM | 88° E | 7:02 PM | 272° W | 33° | 12h 15m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:39 AM | 135° SE | 3:21 PM | 225° SW | 10° | 6h 42m |
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 | 7:43 AM | 8:29 AM | 9:44 AM | 2:39 PM | 3:53 PM | 4:40 PM | 7h 24m |
| February | 6:50 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:28 AM | 4:05 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 32m |
| March | 6:40 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:14 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 47m |
| April | 5:12 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:19 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 17m |
| May | 3:50 AM | 4:43 AM | 5:43 AM | 8:15 PM | 9:14 PM | 10:07 PM | 16h 31m |
| June | 2:59 AM | 4:07 AM | 5:14 AM | 8:51 PM | 9:59 PM | 11:07 PM | 17h 52m |
| July | 3:30 AM | 4:30 AM | 5:33 AM | 8:42 PM | 9:46 PM | 10:46 PM | 17h 16m |
| August | 4:44 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:29 PM | 15h 15m |
| September | 5:54 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:22 PM | 8:01 PM | 12h 49m |
| October | 6:57 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:29 AM | 5:06 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:39 PM | 10h 25m |
| November | 7:00 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:51 AM | 2:43 PM | 3:50 PM | 4:34 PM | 8h 06m |
| December | 7:46 AM | 8:35 AM | 10:01 AM | 1:54 PM | 3:20 PM | 4:09 PM | 6h 45m |
Local time (America/Sitka), 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 | — | -10° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| May | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -9° | — |
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.02 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 1.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show February as the clearest month (about 74% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (84%). August 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 | 50 | 46 | 62 | 68 | 73 | 83 | 81 | 80 | 72 | 60 | 51 | 48 |
| Low °F | -5 | -1 | -3 | 16 | 27 | 37 | 42 | 42 | 34 | 20 | -1 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 8.3 | 6.3 | 5.4 | 4.7 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 5.6 | 7.5 | 10.4 | 10.8 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
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.
- 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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Swan Lake, closest first.
State Park
Scenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Lighthouse
Mountain PeakLighthouse
Waterfall
State ParkWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Starrigavan Creek Cabin8.4 km (5.2 mi) · reservable
- Samsing Cove Cabin8.4 km (5.2 mi) · reservable
- Starrigavan Campground And Day Use8.8 km (5.4 mi) · reservable
- Salmon Lake Cabin Sitka15.5 km (9.7 mi) · reservable
- Freds Creek Cabin16.4 km (10.2 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Swan Lake?
What time is golden hour at Swan Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Swan Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Swan Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Swan Lake?
How far is Swan Lake from Sitka?
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.