Wasilla Lake is a lake in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska at about 99 m (325 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Wasilla, about 2.7 km (1.7 mi) away (Wasilla Lake lies ENE of town).
Wasilla Lake is a lake in Wasilla, Alaska, named by workers constructing the Alaska Railroad after a nearby creek named Wasilla Creek. The lake shore is the site of a city park, Newcomb Park. It is the northern terminus of the Seven-Mile Canoe Trail, the other end being at Finger Lake. Outside of the park areas, most of the shoreline is private property. The lake has a stable population of rainbow trout and fishing is considered good for bank, boat, and ice fishing.From the Wikipedia article “Wasilla Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Wasilla Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 31° (NNE) at the June solstice and 144° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 330° (NNW) in June to 216° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 52° in summer but only 5° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:59 AM | 89° E | 8:12 PM | 272° W | 28° | 12h 13m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:14 AM | 31° NNE | 11:47 PM | 330° NNW | 52° | 19h 33m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:42 AM | 88° E | 8:00 PM | 272° W | 29° | 12h 17m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 10:17 AM | 144° SE | 3:36 PM | 216° SW | 5° | 5h 18m |
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 | 9:02 AM | 9:59 AM | 11:53 AM | 2:22 PM | 4:16 PM | 5:14 PM | 6h 18m |
| February | 7:56 AM | 8:42 AM | 9:51 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:29 PM | 9h 01m |
| March | 7:32 AM | 8:15 AM | 9:14 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:43 PM | 11h 44m |
| April | 5:46 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:21 PM | 10:10 PM | 14h 45m |
| May | 3:55 AM | 5:08 AM | 6:20 AM | 9:30 PM | 10:42 PM | 11:55 PM | 17h 34m |
| June | — | 4:14 AM | 5:43 AM | 10:15 PM | 11:43 PM | — | 19h 29m |
| July | 3:06 AM | 4:46 AM | 6:06 AM | 10:02 PM | 11:22 PM | 1:02 AM | 18h 36m |
| August | 5:10 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:09 AM | 8:57 PM | 10:01 PM | 10:56 PM | 15h 55m |
| September | 6:40 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:22 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:22 PM | 9:07 PM | 12h 58m |
| October | 7:57 AM | 8:42 AM | 9:44 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:31 PM | 10h 05m |
| November | 8:15 AM | 9:07 AM | 10:37 AM | 2:49 PM | 4:19 PM | 5:12 PM | 7h 12m |
| December | 9:09 AM | 10:12 AM | — | — | 3:35 PM | 4:38 PM | 5h 23m |
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 | — | -12° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | -7° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| April | Below 10° in darkness | — | -10° | — |
| May | No darkness | — | — | — |
| June | No darkness | — | — | — |
| July | No darkness | — | — | — |
| August | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | -8° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | -8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -12° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 19.56 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 63% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (83%). 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 | 40 | 40 | 52 | 62 | 70 | 81 | 83 | 80 | 67 | 56 | 43 | 39 |
| Low °F | -25 | -20 | -21 | -1 | 15 | 33 | 39 | 35 | 19 | -1 | -18 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.0 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 3.4 | 2.9 | 2.5 |
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
- Expose for the brighter sky; reflections are typically half a stop to a stop darker.
- 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.
- 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 Wasilla Lake, closest first.
Lake
Scenic Viewpoint
WaterfallScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointWaterfallWaterfall
Mountain Pass
Mountain PeakFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Wasilla Lake?
What time is golden hour at Wasilla Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Wasilla Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Wasilla Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Wasilla Lake?
How far is Wasilla Lake from Wasilla?
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.