Located in Sawyer County, Wisconsin, Lac Courte Oreilles is a lake at about 392 m (1,286 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 9.8 km (6.1 mi) SSW of Little Round Lake.
Lac Courte Oreilles ( lə-KOO-də-ray) is a large freshwater lake in northwest Wisconsin in Sawyer County in townships 39 and 40 north, ranges 8 and 9 west. It is irregular in shape, with many peninsulas and bays, and is about six miles long in a southwest to northeast direction, with a maximum width of about two miles (3 km). Lac Courte Oreilles is 5,039 acres (20.39 km2) in size, with a maximum depth of 90 feet (27 m) and a shoreline of 25.4 miles (40.9 km). It has a small inlet stream, Grindstone Creek, that enters on its northeast shore and flows from Grindstone Lake, a short distance to the north. An outlet on the southeast shore leads to Little Lac Courte Oreilles, then via the Couderay River to the Chippewa River, and ultimately to the Mississippi River at Lake Pepin.From the Wikipedia article “Lac Courte Oreilles”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lac Courte Oreilles the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 236° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:16 AM | 54° NE | 9:00 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 44m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:45 AM | 124° SE | 4:24 PM | 236° WSW | 21° | 8h 39m |
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 | 7:11 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:32 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 04m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:32 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 23m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:49 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 32m |
| May | 5:00 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 56m |
| June | 4:37 AM | 5:16 AM | 6:02 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:37 PM | 15h 43m |
| July | 4:54 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:16 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:31 PM | 15h 23m |
| August | 5:34 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 10m |
| September | 6:15 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:04 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:51 PM | 10h 58m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:52 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 29m |
| December | 7:07 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:31 AM | 3:32 PM | 4:22 PM | 4:57 PM | 8h 41m |
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 Lac Courte Oreilles, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:22 AM – 5:32 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:13 AM – 4:23 AM | 1.2 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:15 AM – 3:15 AM | 2.0 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:41 PM – 2:31 AM | 2.8 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:22 PM – 1:12 AM | 1.8 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:15 PM – 11:15 PM | 1.0 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:02 PM – 9:12 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.82 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.0+ 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 51% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (73%). 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 | 53 | 74 | 79 | 86 | 91 | 101 | 96 | 91 | 82 | 70 | 57 |
| Low °F | -44 | -28 | -29 | 1 | 24 | 38 | 44 | 39 | 29 | 13 | -11 | -32 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.8 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 1.7 | 1.6 |
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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Lac Courte Oreilles, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lac Courte Oreilles?
What time is golden hour at Lac Courte Oreilles?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lac Courte Oreilles?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lac Courte Oreilles?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lac Courte Oreilles?
How far is Lac Courte Oreilles from Little Round Lake?
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.