Lake of the Isles — a lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota at about 260 m (853 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Saint Louis Park, about 3.3 km (2.1 mi) away (Lake of the Isles lies ENE of town).
Lake of the Isles is a lake in Minneapolis, Minnesota, connected to Cedar Lake and Bde Maka Ska. The lake is part of the city's Chain of Lakes and has an area of 109 acres (0.4 km2), 2.86 miles (4.6 km) of shoreline with a little under three miles of paved walking and biking paths, and a maximum depth of 31 feet (9 m). Lake of the Isles is known for its two wooded islands, its long north arm, and the surrounding stately houses of the Kenwood, Lowry Hill, and East Isles neighborhoods.From the Wikipedia article “Lake of the Isles”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake of the Isles 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 68° 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) | 5:27 AM | 55° NE | 9:04 PM | 305° NW | 68° | 15h 37m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:01 AM | 89° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:49 AM | 123° ESE | 4:35 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 46m |
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 | 7:16 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:35 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 10m |
| February | 6:45 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 26m |
| March | 6:57 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:49 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 | 8:36 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 50m |
| June | 4:50 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:12 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:39 PM | 15h 35m |
| July | 5:06 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:26 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:34 PM | 15h 16m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 06m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:56 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 | 6:40 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 34m |
| December | 7:12 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:34 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:07 PM | 8h 48m |
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 Lake of the Isles, 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 8 (city sky), 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 | 3:16 AM – 4:36 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:14 AM – 3:24 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:35 PM – 2:45 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:19 PM – 1:29 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:16 PM – 11:26 PM | 1.2 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:06 PM – 9:26 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: 8 Bortle 8 — City sky. Only bright constellations are visible; the sky glows orange or white. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.19 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
- After sunset, long exposures smooth wind ripples into glass.
- 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.
- 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 Lake of the Isles, closest first.
Beach
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Waterfall
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LakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake of the Isles?
What time is golden hour at Lake of the Isles?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake of the Isles?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake of the Isles?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake of the Isles?
How far is Lake of the Isles from Saint Louis Park?
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.