Straight Lake State Park — a state park in Polk County, Wisconsin — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Luck, about 6.2 km (3.9 mi) away (Straight Lake State Park lies ENE of town).
Straight Lake State Park is a 2,780-acre (1,130 ha) Wisconsin state park north of the village of Luck, Wisconsin. Straight Lake State Park was established in 2002. The park is traversed by the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, which runs along the northern shore of Straight Lake before following the course of the Straight River through the Straight River Tunnel Channel. The Clam Falls Trail, an abandoned road that served as an important thoroughfare during the logging era, also traverses the park roughly parallel to the Ice Age Trail.From the Wikipedia article “Straight Lake State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Straight Lake State Park 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 237° (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) | 7:14 AM | 90° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:21 AM | 54° NE | 9:03 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 42m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:48 AM | 124° SE | 4:29 PM | 237° WSW | 21° | 8h 41m |
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
State parks often protect a signature feature — a gorge, lake or overlook — that is best in early morning before visitors and harsh light arrive.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:14 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:34 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 05m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 24m |
| March | 6:54 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:45 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 31m |
| May | 5:05 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 54m |
| June | 4:43 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:07 AM | 8:15 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:39 PM | 15h 40m |
| July | 4:59 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:20 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:33 PM | 15h 21m |
| August | 5:38 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 08m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 6:57 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:55 PM | 10h 59m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:55 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 31m |
| December | 7:10 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:34 AM | 3:38 PM | 4:27 PM | 5:01 PM | 8h 43m |
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 Straight Lake State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:15 AM – 5:35 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:15 AM – 4:25 AM | 1.2 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:15 AM – 3:25 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:38 PM – 2:38 AM | 3.0 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:21 PM – 1:21 AM | 2.0 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:16 PM – 11:26 PM | 1.2 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:05 PM – 9:25 PM | 0.3 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.54 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 49% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (69%). 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 | 44 | 56 | 77 | 83 | 89 | 96 | 105 | 100 | 94 | 84 | 70 | 59 |
| Low °F | -41 | -28 | -33 | 3 | 24 | 39 | 45 | 42 | 30 | 10 | -10 | -30 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 3.1 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 3.1 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
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 state park
- Trail maps often mark overlooks — combine them with the sun azimuth to plan.
- Day-use fees or passes are common; buy them online before arriving.
- Check park hours: many state parks close at dusk, which affects sunset and night shooting.
- Ask rangers about photography permits for commercial work, models or drones.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Spring wildflowers and autumn color are peak seasons in most parks.
Suggested gear: Versatile zoom lens, Tripod, Park pass. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drone rules in state parks vary by state and even by park — many require a permit or ban recreational drone flights. Check the park's rules and the FAA B4UFLY app before flying.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Straight Lake State Park, closest first.
Lake
State Park
Scenic Viewpoint
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Straight Lake State Park?
What time is golden hour at Straight Lake State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Straight Lake State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Straight Lake State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Straight Lake State Park?
How far is Straight Lake State Park from Luck?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.