Thumb Lake — a lake in Charlevoix County, Michigan at about 315 m (1,033 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Gaylord, about 18.3 km (11.4 mi) away (Thumb Lake lies NNW of town).
Thumb Lake, also known as Lake Louise by the "Lake Louise Camp" community, is a kettle lake located in Hudson Township, Charlevoix County, Michigan, United States. The epithet Thumb Lake derives from the lake's bathymetry. An islet protrudes from the lake's west basin. The total surface area of the lake is 484 acres (2.0 km2), with maximum depths of 152 feet (46 m). The misnomer "Lake Louise" comes from a former Camp director who wanted to rename the lake after his wife. The lake is nestled in the highlands east of the village of Boyne Falls, centered at 45°11′N 84°45′W, and is surrounded by wooded hills. Because of its depth and the dearth of run-off into the lake, its waters are exceptionally clear. The lake is inhabited by splake, a stocked hybrid species (lake trout and brook trout), rainbow trout, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, northern pike, largemouth bass, smelt, and other...From the Wikipedia article “Thumb Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Thumb Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:43 AM | 90° E | 7:51 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:52 AM | 55° NE | 9:31 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 38m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:27 AM | 89° E | 7:38 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:16 AM | 124° ESE | 5:00 PM | 237° WSW | 21° | 8h 44m |
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 | 7:42 AM | 8:15 AM | 9:02 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:56 PM | 9h 08m |
| February | 7:11 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:23 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:07 PM | 6:37 PM | 10h 26m |
| March | 7:23 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:32 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:14 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:24 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:55 PM | 13h 30m |
| May | 5:36 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:53 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:36 PM | 14h 52m |
| June | 5:14 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:37 AM | 8:43 PM | 9:29 PM | 10:06 PM | 15h 37m |
| July | 5:30 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:51 AM | 8:40 PM | 9:25 PM | 10:01 PM | 15h 18m |
| August | 6:09 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:20 PM | 14h 07m |
| September | 6:49 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:57 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:22 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 7:26 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:36 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 00m |
| November | 7:06 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:43 PM | 9h 33m |
| December | 7:38 AM | 8:12 AM | 9:01 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:32 PM | 8h 46m |
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 Thumb Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:44 AM – 6:04 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:43 AM – 5:03 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:42 AM – 3:52 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:04 AM – 3:14 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:47 PM – 1:57 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:44 PM – 11:54 PM | 1.2 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:33 PM – 9:53 PM | 0.3 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.86 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 61% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (81%). July is the warmest month and February 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 | 44 | 55 | 75 | 74 | 82 | 85 | 91 | 88 | 86 | 82 | 69 | 58 |
| Low °F | -15 | -18 | -10 | 6 | 27 | 33 | 44 | 46 | 37 | 28 | 13 | -6 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 2.6 | 2.4 |
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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Thumb Lake, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Thumb Lake?
What time is golden hour at Thumb Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Thumb Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Thumb Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Thumb Lake?
How far is Thumb Lake from Gaylord?
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.