Lake Vermilion is a lake in Saint Louis County, Minnesota. It sits roughly 31 km (19 mi) WNW of Babbitt.
Lake Vermilion is a shallow freshwater lake in northeastern Minnesota, United States. The Ojibwe called the lake Onamanii-zaaga'iganiing (occasionally anglicized as Nee-Man-Nee), which means “the evening sun tinting the water a reddish color”. French fur traders translated this as Vermilion, a red color. Lake Vermilion is located between the towns of Tower on the east and Cook on the west, in the heart of Minnesota's Arrowhead Region at Vermilion Iron Range. The area was mined from the late 19th century until the 1960s, and the Soudan Mine operated just south of the lake.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Vermilion”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Vermilion the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:13 AM | 89° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:11 AM | 53° NE | 9:12 PM | 308° NW | 66° | 16h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:56 AM | 125° SE | 4:20 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 23m |
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 | 7:19 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:45 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:19 PM | 8h 50m |
| February | 6:45 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:32 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 16m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:46 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 38m |
| May | 4:55 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:18 PM | 15h 09m |
| June | 4:30 AM | 5:11 AM | 5:59 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:10 PM | 9:51 PM | 16h 00m |
| July | 4:47 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:14 AM | 8:18 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:44 PM | 15h 38m |
| August | 5:31 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 19m |
| September | 6:16 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:55 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 6:58 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:11 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:54 PM | 10h 54m |
| November | 6:42 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:04 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 18m |
| December | 7:16 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:46 AM | 3:25 PM | 4:18 PM | 4:54 PM | 8h 25m |
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 Vermilion, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 13° 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 | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| April | 3:44 AM – 4:14 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:45 AM – 3:05 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:19 AM – 1:59 AM | 1.7 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:48 PM – 12:58 AM | 1.2 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:28 PM – 10:58 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.91 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 3.0+ 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 52% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (74%). 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 | 39 | 45 | 75 | 77 | 87 | 90 | 101 | 96 | 91 | 79 | 67 | 43 |
| Low °F | -45 | -35 | -36 | 4 | 22 | 32 | 41 | 37 | 24 | 8 | -9 | -36 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 3.2 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 2.5 | 1.4 | 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Vermilion, closest first.
State Park
Scenic Viewpoint
Fire Lookout
Waterfall
Fire Lookout
State Park
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Vermilion?
What time is golden hour at Lake Vermilion?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Vermilion?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Vermilion?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Vermilion?
How far is Lake Vermilion from Babbitt?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.