Upper Nashotah Lake is a lake in Waukesha County, Wisconsin at about 266 m (873 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Nashotah, about 2.6 km (1.6 mi) away (Upper Nashotah Lake lies WSW of town).
Nashotah Lakes are a pair of lakes in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, in the United States. The twin lakes consist of Upper Nashotah Lake (43°05′08″N 88°25′44″W) and Lower Nashotah Lake (43°04′38″N 88°26′04″W). Nashotah is a name derived from a Native American language meaning "twins".From the Wikipedia article “Nashotah Lakes”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Upper Nashotah 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) | 6:58 AM | 90° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:15 AM | 56° NE | 8:37 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 22m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:42 AM | 89° E | 6:53 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:23 AM | 122° ESE | 4:22 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 59m |
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 | 4:00 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 21m |
| February | 6:23 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:54 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 6:38 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:44 AM | 6:23 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:29 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:43 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:51 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 4:58 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 40m |
| June | 4:39 AM | 5:14 AM | 5:58 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:11 PM | 15h 21m |
| July | 4:54 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:06 PM | 15h 04m |
| August | 5:30 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 58m |
| September | 6:06 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:12 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:34 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:39 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:41 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:17 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:30 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 44m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:05 AM | 3:34 PM | 4:20 PM | 4:53 PM | 9h 01m |
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 Upper Nashotah Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 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 | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:35 AM – 5:25 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:39 AM – 4:19 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:41 AM – 3:21 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:53 PM – 2:53 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:42 PM – 1:32 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:47 PM – 11:27 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:43 PM – 9:33 PM | 0.8 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| 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 ≈ 19.57 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Upper Nashotah Lake, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Upper Nashotah Lake?
What time is golden hour at Upper Nashotah Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Upper Nashotah Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Upper Nashotah Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Upper Nashotah Lake?
How far is Upper Nashotah Lake from Nashotah?
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.