Located in Vilas County, Wisconsin, Lac Vieux Desert is a lake at about 512 m (1,680 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 26 km (16 mi) NNE of Eagle River.
Lac Vieux Desert is a lake in the United States divided between Gogebic County, Michigan, and Vilas County, Wisconsin. Fed primarily by springs in the surrounding swamps, it is the source of the Wisconsin River, which flows out of its southwest corner. The lake contains a number of small islands, especially in its northeastern lobe, including Draper Island, in Michigan, and Duck Island, in Wisconsin, referred to as Middle Island and South Island in the Wisconsin and Michigan State Constitutions. Lac Vieux Desert has a surface elevation 1,680 ft (510 m) above sea level, and a maximum depth of about 40 ft (12 m). The surface area is 4,260 acres (17.24 km2; 6.66 sq mi), of which approximately two-thirds is in Wisconsin and one third in Michigan. Located in the Lake District of northern Wisconsin, the lake is a popular boating and fishing resort.From the Wikipedia article “Lac Vieux Desert”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lac Vieux Desert 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° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:00 AM | 90° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:06 AM | 54° NE | 8:52 PM | 306° NW | 67° | 15h 46m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:44 AM | 89° E | 6:56 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:37 AM | 124° SE | 4:14 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 37m |
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 | 7:02 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:24 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 02m |
| February | 6:30 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 22m |
| March | 6:40 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:50 AM | 6:23 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:32 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:39 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 33m |
| May | 4:50 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 58m |
| June | 4:27 AM | 5:05 AM | 5:52 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:29 PM | 15h 45m |
| July | 4:43 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:06 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:23 PM | 15h 25m |
| August | 5:24 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 11m |
| September | 6:05 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:15 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:40 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 6:44 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:42 PM | 10h 58m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:44 AM | 3:40 PM | 4:26 PM | 4:58 PM | 9h 28m |
| December | 6:58 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:23 AM | 3:22 PM | 4:12 PM | 4:47 PM | 8h 39m |
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 Vieux Desert, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.7 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 1 (excellent dark-sky 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 | 5:12 AM – 5:22 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:14 AM – 4:14 AM | 1.0 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:08 AM – 2:58 AM | 1.8 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:35 PM – 2:15 AM | 2.7 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:15 PM – 1:05 AM | 1.8 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:06 PM – 10:56 PM | 0.8 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:53 PM – 9:03 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| 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 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 54% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (78%). 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 | 40 | 49 | 73 | 76 | 87 | 88 | 96 | 93 | 89 | 79 | 67 | 54 |
| Low °F | -21 | -26 | -19 | 6 | 23 | 34 | 40 | 42 | 31 | 13 | -1 | -20 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 2.3 | 2.3 |
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Lac Vieux Desert, closest first.
Lake
Lake
Lake
Wilderness Area
Wilderness Area
Lake
WaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Lac Vieux Desert Campground3.1 km (1.9 mi) · reservable
- Marion Lake Group Site14.7 km (9.1 mi) · reservable
- Spectacle Lake Campground (Wisconsin)16.0 km (10.0 mi) · reservable
- Sylvania (Clark Lake) Campground19.3 km (12.0 mi) · reservable
- Kentuck Lake Campground19.4 km (12.0 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lac Vieux Desert?
What time is golden hour at Lac Vieux Desert?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lac Vieux Desert?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lac Vieux Desert?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lac Vieux Desert?
How far is Lac Vieux Desert from Eagle River?
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.