Located in Gogebic County, Michigan, Lake Gogebic is a lake at about 391 m (1,283 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Wakefield, about 27 km (17 mi) away (Lake Gogebic lies E of town).
Lake Gogebic ( goh-GHEE-bik or goh-GHIB-ik) is the largest natural inland lake of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It is located within the one million acre (4,000 km2) Ottawa National Forest. Lake Gogebic State Park is located along its western shore. It is in the far western end of the Upper Peninsula, close to the Wisconsin border, and in parts of two counties, Gogebic County and Ontonagon County. The lake is also in two time zones, central and eastern. Though the lake is a natural body of water, the level is regulated by the Upper Peninsula Power Company through its Bergland Dam located downstream on the West Branch of the Ontonagon River. In 2005 a state Department of Natural Resources survey found Black bullhead, Black crappie, Brown bullhead, Burbot, Cisco, Common shiner, Creek chub, Golden shiner, Northern pike, Pumpkinseed, Rock bass, Smallmouth bass, Walleye, White...From the Wikipedia article “Lake Gogebic”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Gogebic the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:02 AM | 90° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:06 AM | 54° NE | 8:56 PM | 307° NW | 67° | 15h 49m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:46 AM | 89° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:40 AM | 124° SE | 4:14 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 34m |
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 | 7:05 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:27 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:12 PM | 8h 59m |
| February | 6:32 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 21m |
| March | 6:42 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:24 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:40 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 34m |
| May | 4:50 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:26 PM | 9:01 PM | 15h 00m |
| June | 4:27 AM | 5:06 AM | 5:53 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:33 PM | 15h 48m |
| July | 4:43 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:06 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:26 PM | 15h 28m |
| August | 5:24 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 12m |
| September | 6:07 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:42 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 6:46 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:44 PM | 10h 57m |
| November | 6:28 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:47 AM | 3:40 PM | 4:27 PM | 4:59 PM | 9h 26m |
| December | 7:01 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:27 AM | 3:22 PM | 4:12 PM | 4:47 PM | 8h 36m |
Local time (America/Menominee), 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
From Lake Gogebic, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:15 AM – 5:25 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:17 AM – 4:17 AM | 1.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:12 AM – 3:02 AM | 1.8 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:42 PM – 2:12 AM | 2.5 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:20 PM – 1:00 AM | 1.7 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:10 PM – 11:00 PM | 0.8 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:55 PM – 8:55 PM | 0.0 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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 ≈ 21.93 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 3.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 54% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (78%). 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 | 49 | 73 | 76 | 87 | 88 | 96 | 93 | 89 | 79 | 67 | 54 |
| Low °F | -21 | -26 | -19 | 6 | 23 | 34 | 40 | 42 | 31 | 13 | -1 | -20 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 2.3 | 2.3 |
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.
- 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 Lake Gogebic, closest first.
State Park
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Bobcat Lake Camp17.1 km (10.6 mi) · reservable
- Bobcat Lake Campground17.1 km (10.6 mi)
- Pomeroy Lake Camp24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Henry Lake Camp25 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Langford Lake Boat Launch26 km (16 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Gogebic?
What time is golden hour at Lake Gogebic?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Gogebic?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Gogebic?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Gogebic?
How far is Lake Gogebic from Wakefield?
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.