Steamboat Lake is a lake in Cass County, Minnesota at about 395 m (1,296 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Bemidji, about 29 km (18 mi) away (Steamboat Lake lies SE of town).
Steamboat Lake is a lake in Cass and Hubbard counties, in the U.S. state of Minnesota. Steamboat Lake and adjacent Steamboat River were so named from the frequent steamboat traffic once traveling their waters.From the Wikipedia article “Steamboat Lake (Cass and Hubbard counties, Minnesota)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Steamboat 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) | 7:22 AM | 89° E | 7:31 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:23 AM | 53° NE | 9:19 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 56m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:06 AM | 89° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:03 AM | 125° SE | 4:32 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 28m |
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 | 7:27 AM | 8:02 AM | 8:51 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:30 PM | 8h 54m |
| February | 6:53 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 18m |
| March | 7:02 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:13 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:55 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 36m |
| May | 5:07 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:28 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:25 PM | 15h 05m |
| June | 4:43 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:10 AM | 8:29 PM | 9:17 PM | 9:57 PM | 15h 55m |
| July | 5:00 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:25 AM | 8:26 PM | 9:12 PM | 9:50 PM | 15h 34m |
| August | 5:42 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 16m |
| September | 6:26 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:03 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:07 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:19 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:33 PM | 7:03 PM | 10h 55m |
| November | 6:50 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:11 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 21m |
| December | 7:24 AM | 8:00 AM | 8:52 AM | 3:38 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:05 PM | 8h 30m |
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 Steamboat 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 2 (typical truly dark 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 | 5:47 AM – 5:47 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:41 AM – 4:31 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:50 AM – 3:20 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:17 AM – 2:17 AM | 2.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:51 PM – 1:11 AM | 1.3 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:35 PM – 11:15 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.88 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
- 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.
- After sunset, long exposures smooth wind ripples into glass.
- 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 Steamboat Lake, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- South Pike Bay9.3 km (5.8 mi) · reservable
- Cass Lake Loop13.8 km (8.5 mi) · reservable
- Norway Beach Loop16.4 km (10.2 mi) · reservable
- Wanaki Loop16.4 km (10.2 mi) · reservable
- Norway Beach Picnic Shelter16.4 km (10.2 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Steamboat Lake?
What time is golden hour at Steamboat Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Steamboat Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Steamboat Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Steamboat Lake?
How far is Steamboat Lake from Bemidji?
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.