Located in McLean County, North Dakota, Lake Sakakawea is a lake. It sits roughly 17.1 km (10.6 mi) S of Garrison.
Lake Sakakawea is a large reservoir in the north central United States, impounded in 1953 by Garrison Dam, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dam located in the Missouri River basin in central North Dakota. Named for the Shoshone-Hidatsa woman Sacagawea (who accompanied the Lewis and Clark Expedition), it is the largest man-made lake located entirely within North Dakota, the largest in the United States by surface area, and the third largest in the United States by volume, after Lake Mead and Lake Powell. The lake is located about fifty miles (80 km) from the state capital of Bismarck; the distance by the Missouri River is about 75 miles (120 km). The lake's width averages between 2–3 miles (3–5 km), with a maximum of 14 miles (23 km) at Van Hook Arm. Lake Sakakawea marks the maximum southwest extent of glaciation during the ice age. The lake is located within the counties of: Dunn,...From the Wikipedia article “Lake Sakakawea”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Sakakawea 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) | 7:49 AM | 89° E | 7:58 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:49 AM | 53° NE | 9:47 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 58m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:33 AM | 89° E | 7:45 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:31 AM | 125° SE | 4:58 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 26m |
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 | 7:55 AM | 8:29 AM | 9:19 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:57 PM | 8h 52m |
| February | 7:20 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:36 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:41 PM | 10h 17m |
| March | 7:29 AM | 8:00 AM | 8:40 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:22 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:25 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:39 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:07 PM | 13h 37m |
| May | 5:33 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:54 AM | 8:31 PM | 9:16 PM | 9:53 PM | 15h 07m |
| June | 5:08 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:37 AM | 8:57 PM | 9:45 PM | 10:26 PM | 15h 57m |
| July | 5:26 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:51 AM | 8:53 PM | 9:40 PM | 10:19 PM | 15h 36m |
| August | 6:09 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:33 PM | 14h 17m |
| September | 6:53 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:04 AM | 7:19 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:31 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:34 AM | 8:05 AM | 8:47 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:30 PM | 10h 54m |
| November | 7:18 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:39 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 20m |
| December | 7:52 AM | 8:28 AM | 9:20 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:32 PM | 8h 28m |
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 Sakakawea, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.8 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 | 6:15 AM – 6:15 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 4:20 AM – 5:00 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:19 AM – 3:39 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:50 AM – 2:40 AM | 1.8 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 12:21 AM – 1:41 AM | 1.3 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 11:04 PM – 11:34 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 ≈ 21.92 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 47% 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 | 49 | 59 | 76 | 88 | 91 | 106 | 107 | 103 | 99 | 89 | 69 | 52 |
| Low °F | -37 | -33 | -19 | -1 | 22 | 37 | 46 | 41 | 29 | 8 | -11 | -28 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.7 |
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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Sakakawea, closest first.
State Park
State Park
National Wildlife RefugeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Downstream Campground (Nd)2.0 km (1.3 mi) · reservable
- Wolf Creek Campground (Nd)9.4 km (5.8 mi) · reservable
- East Totten Trail Campground (Nd)17.5 km (10.9 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Sakakawea?
What time is golden hour at Lake Sakakawea?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Sakakawea?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Sakakawea?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Sakakawea?
How far is Lake Sakakawea from Garrison?
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.