Located in Cass County, Minnesota, Leech Lake is a lake. It is part of Chippewa National Forest. It sits roughly 52 km (32 mi) SE of Bemidji.
Leech Lake (translated from the Ojibwe language Gaa-zagaskwaajimekaag: Lake abundant with bloodsuckers) is a lake located in north central Minnesota, United States. It is southeast of Bemidji, located mainly within the Leech Lake Indian Reservation, and completely within the Chippewa National Forest. It is used as a reservoir. The lake is the third largest in Minnesota, covering 102,947.83 acres (416.6151 km2) with 195 miles (314 km) of shoreline and has a maximum depth of 156 feet (48 m).From the Wikipedia article “Leech Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Leech Lake 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 307° (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) | 7:21 AM | 89° E | 7:30 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:22 AM | 53° NE | 9:18 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 55m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:05 AM | 89° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:02 AM | 125° SE | 4:31 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 29m |
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 | 7:26 AM | 8:00 AM | 8:50 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:29 PM | 8h 55m |
| February | 6:52 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 18m |
| March | 7:01 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:12 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:54 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:58 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:38 PM | 13h 36m |
| May | 5:06 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:27 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:23 PM | 15h 05m |
| June | 4:42 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:10 AM | 8:28 PM | 9:16 PM | 9:56 PM | 15h 54m |
| July | 4:59 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:24 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:11 PM | 9:49 PM | 15h 33m |
| August | 5:42 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 16m |
| September | 6:25 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:31 PM | 8:02 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:05 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:18 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:32 PM | 7:02 PM | 10h 55m |
| November | 6:49 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:09 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 22m |
| December | 7:23 AM | 7:58 AM | 8:50 AM | 3:37 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:04 PM | 8h 31m |
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 Leech Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° 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 | 5:45 AM – 5:45 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:39 AM – 4:29 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:48 AM – 3:18 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:15 AM – 2:15 AM | 2.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:49 PM – 1:09 AM | 1.3 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:33 PM – 11:13 PM | 0.7 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.9 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 3.5+ 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 50% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 43 | 47 | 75 | 80 | 86 | 90 | 101 | 96 | 91 | 82 | 67 | 42 |
| Low °F | -44 | -34 | -31 | 4 | 24 | 35 | 44 | 39 | 28 | 7 | -9 | -34 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 1.1 | 1.0 |
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
- 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 Leech Lake, closest first.
State Park
Fire Lookout
National Forest
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Stony Point7.6 km (4.7 mi) · reservable
- Leech Lake Rec Area13.4 km (8.4 mi) · reservable
- South Pike Bay24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Mabel Lake26 km (16 mi) · reservable
- Chippewa Loop26 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Leech Lake?
What time is golden hour at Leech Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Leech Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Leech Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Leech Lake?
How far is Leech Lake from Bemidji?
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.