Little Lake Butte des Morts — a lake in Winnebago County, Wisconsin at about 224 m (735 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Menasha, about 1.6 km (1.0 mi) away (Little Lake Butte des Morts lies WNW of town).
Little Lake Butte des Morts is a lake in the US state of Wisconsin, eight miles north of Lake Butte des Morts. It is part of the Fox–Wisconsin Waterway and receives its inflow from a short segment of the Fox River which drains from the north end of Lake Winnebago around Doty Island. The north end of Little Lake Butte des Morts becomes the section of the Fox River running to Green Bay. The lake is part of the Butte des Morts region in Winnebago County, Wisconsin. The southern half of the lake is located within the cities of Menasha and Neenah. The name "Butte des Morts" was given by French settlers, and means "Mound of the Dead" in reference to a nearby Indian burial mound. French archives state that in 1716, over 8000 civilians and over 500 soldiers lived within the fortified walls of Little Lake Butte des Morts. In 1716, during the Fox Wars, French expeditionary forces laid siege to...From the Wikipedia article “Little Lake Butte des Morts”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Little Lake Butte des Morts the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:58 AM | 90° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:11 AM | 55° NE | 8:42 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 31m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:42 AM | 89° E | 6:53 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:27 AM | 123° ESE | 4:18 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 52m |
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 | 6:54 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:12 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 14m |
| February | 6:25 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 6:38 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:22 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:29 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:41 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:50 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 4:55 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 46m |
| June | 4:34 AM | 5:10 AM | 5:55 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:16 PM | 15h 29m |
| July | 4:50 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:11 PM | 15h 11m |
| August | 5:27 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 02m |
| September | 6:05 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:12 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:40 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:41 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:34 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 38m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:11 AM | 3:29 PM | 4:16 PM | 4:50 PM | 8h 53m |
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 Lake Butte des Morts, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition), 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:47 AM – 5:27 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:44 AM – 4:14 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:50 AM – 3:20 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:07 PM – 2:37 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:52 PM – 1:22 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:53 PM – 11:23 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:46 PM – 9:16 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.67 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 (72%). 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 | 47 | 60 | 78 | 80 | 87 | 93 | 99 | 97 | 91 | 84 | 72 | 61 |
| Low °F | -40 | -26 | -20 | 5 | 26 | 36 | 46 | 42 | 31 | 21 | 1 | -27 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.4 | 2.2 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 4.7 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 2.0 | 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
- After sunset, long exposures smooth wind ripples into glass.
- 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.
- 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 Little Lake Butte des Morts, closest first.
Lighthouse
Botanical Garden
State Park
Ghost Town
Lighthouse
Lake
Botanical Garden
Lake
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Little Lake Butte des Morts?
What time is golden hour at Little Lake Butte des Morts?
Where does the sun rise and set at Little Lake Butte des Morts?
Can you see the Milky Way from Little Lake Butte des Morts?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Little Lake Butte des Morts?
How far is Little Lake Butte des Morts from Menasha?
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.