Located in Cook County, Minnesota, Whale Lake is a lake at about 576 m (1,890 ft) above sea level. It is part of Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The nearest town is Grand Marais, about 22 km (14 mi) away (Whale Lake lies NW of town).
Whale Lake is a lake in Cook County in what is known as the Arrowhead Region of northern Minnesota. It is within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness of the Superior National Forest, at the base of Eagle Mountain, Minnesota's highest point. Two miles (3 km) from the nearest road, Whale Lake is only accessible via the Eagle Mountain Hiking Trail from the south, or the Brule Lake Trail from the northwest. It offers two campsites to hikers, one on the northern shore near the intersection of the two trails, and the other a few hundred yards away from the western shore. Whale Lake has been known to contain Bluegill, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, and more commonly, White Sucker fish.From the Wikipedia article “Whale Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Whale 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 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) | 7:06 AM | 89° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:04 AM | 53° NE | 9:06 PM | 308° NW | 66° | 16h 02m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:50 AM | 89° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:50 AM | 125° SE | 4:13 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 | 7:12 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:38 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:12 PM | 8h 50m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:57 PM | 10h 16m |
| March | 6:45 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 51m |
| April | 5:41 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 38m |
| May | 4:48 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:11 PM | 15h 09m |
| June | 4:22 AM | 5:03 AM | 5:52 AM | 8:15 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:45 PM | 16h 00m |
| July | 4:40 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:06 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:37 PM | 15h 39m |
| August | 5:24 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 19m |
| September | 6:09 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:21 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 6:51 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:04 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:15 PM | 6:47 PM | 10h 54m |
| November | 6:35 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:57 AM | 3:38 PM | 4:26 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 17m |
| December | 7:10 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:39 AM | 3:17 PM | 4:11 PM | 4:47 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 Whale Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through July. June gives the longest window (about 1.3 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 | 3:38 AM – 4:08 AM | 0.5 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:40 AM – 2:50 AM | 1.2 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:19 AM – 1:39 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| July | 11:45 PM – 12:45 AM | 1.0 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:23 PM – 10:43 PM | 0.3 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.94 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 62% average cloud cover) and November as the cloudiest (75%). August is the warmest month and February 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 | 41 | 40 | 58 | 66 | 70 | 71 | 84 | 82 | 78 | 67 | 57 | 45 |
| Low °F | -18 | -17 | -17 | 10 | 27 | 36 | 42 | 47 | 37 | 25 | 7 | -7 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 1.9 | 1.8 |
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.
- 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.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drones may not take off from or land in federally designated wilderness, where mechanized equipment is prohibited under the Wilderness Act.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Whale Lake, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Fire Lookout
Scenic Viewpoint
Lake
State Park
WaterfallScenic Viewpoint
Lighthouse
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Two Island Lake Campground7.6 km (4.7 mi)
- Crescent Lake (Mn)18.1 km (11.2 mi) · reservable
- East Bearskin Lake Campground19.7 km (12.2 mi) · reservable
- Iron Lake20 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Flour Lake Campground21 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Whale Lake?
What time is golden hour at Whale Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Whale Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Whale Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Whale Lake?
How far is Whale Lake from Grand Marais?
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.