Lake Michigamme — a lake in Marquette County, Michigan at about 473 m (1,552 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 28 km (17 mi) W of West Ishpeming.
Lake Michigamme ( mish-ə-GAH-mee), one of Michigan's largest interior lakes, reaches a depth of over 70 feet (21 m). It covers 4,292 acres (17.37 km2) in Marquette and Baraga counties, Michigan. Van Riper State Park provides public access. The vast majority of the lake lies in Marquette County, with only its westernmost part extending into Baraga County. The lake runs about six miles (9.7 km) east to west, with a southern arm extending about another four miles (6.4 km). A dam separates the Michigamme River from the main body of the lake at the end of the southern arm. The Spurr River flows into the lake's west end and the Peshekee River flows into the lake in the northeast. Van Riper State Park and Van Riper beach are located at the eastern shoreline of the main arm. The lake is speckled with many islands and rock beds that often creep over the waterline in late summer and...From the Wikipedia article “Lake Michigamme”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Michigamme 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) | 7:56 AM | 90° E | 8:05 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:00 AM | 54° NE | 9:50 PM | 307° NW | 67° | 15h 50m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:40 AM | 89° E | 7:52 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:34 AM | 124° SE | 5:08 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 | 7:59 AM | 8:33 AM | 9:21 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:32 PM | 6:06 PM | 8h 59m |
| February | 7:26 AM | 7:57 AM | 8:40 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:49 PM | 10h 21m |
| March | 7:36 AM | 8:06 AM | 8:46 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:28 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:34 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:46 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:11 PM | 13h 34m |
| May | 5:44 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:03 AM | 8:36 PM | 9:20 PM | 9:55 PM | 15h 00m |
| June | 5:20 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:46 AM | 9:01 PM | 9:48 PM | 10:27 PM | 15h 48m |
| July | 5:37 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:00 AM | 8:57 PM | 9:43 PM | 10:20 PM | 15h 28m |
| August | 6:18 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:37 PM | 14h 13m |
| September | 7:01 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:11 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:36 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 7:40 AM | 8:10 AM | 8:51 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:38 PM | 10h 57m |
| November | 7:22 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:41 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:53 PM | 9h 26m |
| December | 7:55 AM | 8:30 AM | 9:21 AM | 4:15 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:41 PM | 8h 36m |
Local time (America/Detroit), 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 Michigamme, 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 | 6:09 AM – 6:19 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 4:11 AM – 5:11 AM | 1.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| May | 2:06 AM – 3:56 AM | 1.8 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:36 AM – 3:06 AM | 2.5 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 12:14 AM – 1:54 AM | 1.7 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 11:04 PM – 11:54 PM | 0.8 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:49 PM – 9:49 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 ≈ 21.89 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 | 41 | 49 | 75 | 78 | 89 | 89 | 96 | 95 | 90 | 80 | 69 | 56 |
| Low °F | -19 | -25 | -20 | 6 | 22 | 30 | 42 | 41 | 29 | 15 | 0 | -20 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 2.3 | 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Michigamme, closest first.
Waterfall
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When is the best time to photograph Lake Michigamme?
What time is golden hour at Lake Michigamme?
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Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Michigamme?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Michigamme?
How far is Lake Michigamme from West Ishpeming?
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.