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Lakes in Minnesota

45 lakes in Minnesota with photography planning data — sunrise and sunset azimuths, golden hour by month, Milky Way windows and estimated sky darkness. Hennepin County has the most (12). The darkest skies are at Lake of the Woods (Bortle 1).

Top lakes

Rainy LakeLake
Rainy LakeKoochiching County
Lake of the WoodsLake
Lake of the WoodsLake of the Woods County
Mille Lacs LakeLake
Mille Lacs LakeMille Lacs County · 382 m
Lake PepinLake
Lake PepinGoodhue County
Lake MinnetonkaLake
Lake MinnetonkaHennepin County
Pelican LakeLake
Pelican LakeOtter Tail County · 401 m
Leech LakeLake
Leech LakeCass County
Lake NokomisLake
Lake NokomisHennepin County · 248 m
White Bear LakeLake
White Bear LakeWashington County · 281 m
Cedar LakeLake
Cedar LakeHennepin County · 260 m
Lake HarrietLake
Lake HarrietHennepin County · 259 m
Bde Maka SkaLake
Bde Maka SkaHennepin County

Lakes by county

All lakes (45)

NameCountyElevationNearest townSky
Rainy LakeVoyageursKoochiching County—International Falls1
Lake of the WoodsLake of the Woods County—Warroad1
Mille Lacs LakeMille Lacs County382 mVineland2
Lake PepinGoodhue County—Lake City4
Lake MinnetonkaHennepin County—Excelsior7
Pelican LakeOtter Tail County401 mPelican Rapids2
Leech LakeCass County—Bemidji1
Lake NokomisHennepin County248 mLongfellow Community8
White Bear LakeWashington County281 mBirchwood7
Cedar LakeHennepin County260 mSaint Louis Park8
Lake HarrietHennepin County259 mSaint Louis Park8
Bde Maka SkaHennepin County—Saint Louis Park8
Red LakeBeltrami County—Red Lake1
Lake of the IslesHennepin County260 mSaint Louis Park8
Bennett LakeRamsey County270 mRoseville8
Whale LakeCook County576 mGrand Marais1
Lake ShetekMurray County452 mTracy2
Ponto LakeCass County407 mCrosslake2
Sawbill LakeCook County545 mGrand Marais1
Medicine LakeHennepin County270 mPlymouth8
Bay LakeCrow Wing County385 mCrosby2
Como LakeRamsey County269 mFalcon Heights8
Lake HiawathaHennepin County248 mLongfellow Community8
Lake GeorgeAnoka County273 mOak Grove6
Christmas LakeHennepin County285 mExcelsior7
Bush LakeHennepin County255 mEdina7
North Long LakeCrow Wing County364 mBrainerd3
Hungry Jack LakeCook County513 mGrand Marais1
East Side LakeMower County362 mAustin6
Rose LakeCook County463 mGrand Marais1
Otter Tail LakeOtter Tail County403 mPerham2
Amelia LakeAnoka County276 mCenterville7
Steamboat LakeCass County395 mBemidji2
Lake WaconiaCarver County294 mWaconia6
Powderhorn LakeHennepin County249 mLongfellow Community8
Lake JosephineRamsey County270 mArden Hills8
Vadnais LakeRamsey County269 mVadnais Heights7
Silver LakeOlmsted County297 mRochester7
Lake VermilionSaint Louis County—Babbitt1
Burntside LakeSaint Louis County418 mEly2
Lake PhalenRamsey County262 mMaplewood8
Grindstone LakePine County332 mSandstone3
Wirth LakeHennepin County249 mGolden Valley8
Black Dog LakeDakota County212 mBurnsville7
Siseebakwet LakeItasca County404 mCohasset2

Sky = estimated Bortle class (1 darkest – 9 brightest).

Map

How to photograph lakes

Lakes reflect best in calm air — usually the first hour after sunrise, before breezes ripple the surface.

  • 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.
  • Expose for the brighter sky; reflections are typically half a stop to a stop darker.

Season: Autumn mornings bring mist and fall color; high-elevation lakes are usually ice-free only from early summer to mid-autumn.