Black Dog Lake — a lake in Dakota County, Minnesota at about 212 m (696 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge. The nearest town is Burnsville, about 4.3 km (2.7 mi) away (Black Dog Lake lies NNE of town).
Black Dog Lake is a lake in Dakota County, in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The lake was named for Black Dog, a Sioux Indian. Black Dog Lake has long been known for its rich biodiversity. It has been noted as "an excellent habitat for a variety of wildlife, including the Bald Eagle and American Golden Eagle", a "large wetland", one of "the greatest" near Interstate 35. Other birds seen on the Lake include loons and Pomarine jaeger. In 1982, the Northern States Power leased out the Lake's wildlife habitat as a protected area, for 50 years.From the Wikipedia article “Black Dog Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Black Dog Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:17 AM | 90° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:28 AM | 55° NE | 9:03 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 36m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:01 AM | 89° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:48 AM | 123° ESE | 4:36 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 47m |
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 | 7:15 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:34 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 11m |
| February | 6:45 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 6:57 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 29m |
| May | 5:11 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 50m |
| June | 4:50 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:12 AM | 8:16 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:39 PM | 15h 34m |
| July | 5:06 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:26 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:33 PM | 15h 15m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 05m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:55 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:00 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:09 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 6:39 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 35m |
| December | 7:11 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:33 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:07 PM | 8h 49m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Black Dog Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.3 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 7 (suburban / urban transition), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:17 AM – 5:37 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:15 AM – 4:35 AM | 1.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:12 AM – 3:32 AM | 2.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:31 PM – 2:51 AM | 3.3 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:16 PM – 1:36 AM | 2.3 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:15 PM – 11:35 PM | 1.3 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:06 PM – 9:36 PM | 0.5 | 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.4 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 46% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (69%). 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 | 50 | 61 | 80 | 89 | 96 | 96 | 107 | 100 | 96 | 87 | 78 | 61 |
| Low °F | -37 | -27 | -23 | 4 | 24 | 41 | 46 | 43 | 32 | 12 | -4 | -24 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 3.1 | 4.1 | 4.8 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 1.2 |
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
- 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.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Launching or landing drones on National Wildlife Refuge lands generally requires a special use permit from the refuge manager, and wildlife disturbance rules apply everywhere.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Black Dog Lake, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
National Wildlife Refuge
Lake
State Park
Lake
Waterfall
Waterfall
Lake
LakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Black Dog Lake?
What time is golden hour at Black Dog Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Black Dog Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Black Dog Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Black Dog Lake?
How far is Black Dog Lake from Burnsville?
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.