Located in North Slope Borough, Alaska, Teshekpuk Lake is a lake.
Teshekpuk Lake (Iñupiaq: Tasiqpak) is the largest lake in Arctic Alaska, at 22 miles (35 km) width on the Alaska North Slope within the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, South of Pitt Point, 12 miles (19 km) east of Harrison Bay, 80 miles (130 km) east of Point Barrow. The Teshekpuk Lake region is considered one of the most productive, diverse, and sensitive wetland ecosystems in the entire Arctic, habitat to a variety of arctic wildlife, including the resident Teshekpuk Lake caribou herd of 64,000 animals, large numbers of shorebirds and migratory waterfowl, for whom it is an essential part of the East Asian–Australasian Flyway site network. The lake is threatened by salt water contamination from disappearing sea ice, as well as oil drilling in Alpine, Alaska, and by ConocoPhilipps Willow project.From the Wikipedia article “Teshekpuk Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At this latitude the sun does not rise or set on some days of the year, so check the monthly table below for daylight and twilight.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 8:13 AM | 88° E | 8:32 PM | 272° W | 19° | 12h 19m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | — | — | — | — | 43° | — |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:55 AM | 87° E | 8:20 PM | 273° W | 20° | 12h 25m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | — | — | — | — | -4° | — |
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 | 10:40 AM | — | — | — | — | 4:08 PM | — |
| February | 8:42 AM | 9:53 AM | 12:20 PM | 2:38 PM | 5:05 PM | 6:17 PM | 7h 12m |
| March | 7:34 AM | 8:37 AM | 10:02 AM | 6:46 PM | 8:11 PM | 9:13 PM | 11h 34m |
| April | 4:37 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:55 PM | 10:25 PM | 11:52 PM | 16h 20m |
| May | — | — | 5:32 AM | 10:50 PM | — | — | — |
| June | — | — | 4:09 AM | 12:22 AM | — | — | — |
| July | — | — | 4:56 AM | 11:45 PM | — | — | — |
| August | — | 5:05 AM | 6:50 AM | 9:49 PM | 11:34 PM | — | 18h 29m |
| September | 6:21 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:49 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:54 PM | 10:00 PM | 13h 27m |
| October | 8:26 AM | 9:31 AM | 11:14 AM | 4:47 PM | 6:30 PM | 7:35 PM | 8h 59m |
| November | 9:33 AM | 11:19 AM | — | — | 2:40 PM | 4:26 PM | 3h 21m |
| December | 11:16 AM | — | — | — | — | 3:05 PM | — |
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 | — | -16° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -15° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
| April | No darkness | — | — | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | No darkness | — | — | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -15° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -17° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -17° | — |
| 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 January as the clearest month (about 57% average cloud cover) and October as the cloudiest (88%). 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 | 33 | 32 | 33 | 36 | 61 | 72 | 76 | 70 | 59 | 44 | 34 | 31 |
| Low °F | -52 | -57 | -43 | -25 | -11 | 22 | 31 | 28 | 13 | -12 | -36 | -43 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.7 |
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
- After sunset, long exposures smooth wind ripples into glass.
- 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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Teshekpuk Lake?
What time is golden hour at Teshekpuk Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Teshekpuk Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Teshekpuk Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Teshekpuk Lake?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.