Located in Washington County, Wisconsin, Little Cedar Lake is a lake at about 308 m (1,010 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is West Bend, about 6.5 km (4.0 mi) away (Little Cedar Lake lies SSW of town).
Little Cedar Lake is a lake in Southeastern Wisconsin; United States. It is located at the geographic center of Washington County, in the Town of West Bend, and Town of Polk. The lake covers an area of 246 acres (1 km2), has a shoreline of 4.5 miles (7 km), and reaches a maximum depth of 56 feet (17 m). Its source is Cedar Creek which flows into the northwest side of the lake, and its outflow is Cedar Creek, which continues to flow south at the bottom a small dam at the extreme southern tip of the lake. Spring, summer and autumn activities on the lake include boating, fishing, and water skiing. In winter the lake freezes over completely with ice up to 36 inches thick, Winter activities on the lake include ice fishing and snowmobiling. Many species of fish are found in Little Cedar Lake, including northern pike, walleye, rock bass, smallmouth bass, bluegills, carp, and bullheads. The...From the Wikipedia article “Little Cedar Lake (Wisconsin)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Little Cedar Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:57 AM | 90° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:13 AM | 56° NE | 8:38 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 25m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:41 AM | 89° E | 6:52 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:23 AM | 122° ESE | 4:20 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 57m |
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 | 6:52 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:08 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 19m |
| February | 6:23 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 32m |
| March | 6:38 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:44 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:41 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:50 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 25m |
| May | 4:57 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 41m |
| June | 4:37 AM | 5:13 AM | 5:56 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:12 PM | 15h 23m |
| July | 4:52 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:07 PM | 15h 06m |
| August | 5:28 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 59m |
| September | 6:04 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:11 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:34 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:39 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:40 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:30 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:01 PM | 9h 43m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:06 AM | 3:32 PM | 4:18 PM | 4:51 PM | 8h 59m |
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 Little Cedar Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:45 AM – 5:25 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:40 AM – 4:20 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:43 AM – 3:23 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:57 PM – 2:47 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:45 PM – 1:25 AM | 2.7 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:49 PM – 11:29 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:43 PM – 9:23 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.91 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 48% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (71%). 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 | 64 | 78 | 81 | 90 | 96 | 103 | 96 | 93 | 85 | 72 | 64 |
| Low °F | -43 | -24 | -19 | 11 | 26 | 39 | 45 | 42 | 33 | 18 | 0 | -24 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 5.1 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 2.2 | 1.9 |
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
- For mirror reflections, get low and close to the water; the reflection grows with a lower camera.
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Little Cedar Lake, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Little Cedar Lake?
What time is golden hour at Little Cedar Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Little Cedar Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Little Cedar Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Little Cedar Lake?
How far is Little Cedar Lake from West Bend?
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.