Located in Aitkin County, Minnesota, Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge. It sits roughly 28 km (18 mi) E of Aitkin.
Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge is located in Aitkin County in east central Minnesota, five miles south of the community of McGregor. It was established in 1935 for waterfowl habitat preservation. The refuge includes Rice Lake itself, a shallow, 3,600-acre wild rice-producing lake. The refuge has been designated as a Globally Important Bird Area by the American Bird Conservancy due to the importance of the lake and its wild rice as a food source for migrating waterfowl, especially ring-necked ducks. Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge has also recently become known for its population of native bigmouth buffalo that migrate to Rice Lake each spring during their annual spawning migration. With an average age of about 80 years for the bigmouth buffalo in this population and approximately 100% of individuals older than 53 years as of 2024, it is one of the oldest known populations of...From the Wikipedia article “Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge 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 307° (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) | 7:17 AM | 90° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:21 AM | 54° NE | 9:11 PM | 307° NW | 67° | 15h 50m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:01 AM | 89° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:55 AM | 124° SE | 4:29 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 34m |
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
Wildlife is most active in the first and last two hours of daylight — exactly when the light is warmest.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:20 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:42 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:27 PM | 8h 59m |
| February | 6:47 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 21m |
| March | 6:57 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:49 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:20 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 34m |
| May | 5:05 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:16 PM | 15h 00m |
| June | 4:41 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:07 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:09 PM | 9:48 PM | 15h 48m |
| July | 4:58 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:18 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:41 PM | 15h 28m |
| August | 5:39 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 13m |
| September | 6:22 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:13 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:59 PM | 10h 57m |
| November | 6:43 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:02 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 25m |
| December | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:42 AM | 3:36 PM | 4:27 PM | 5:02 PM | 8h 36m |
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 Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.5 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 2 (typical truly dark 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 | 5:30 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:32 AM – 4:32 AM | 1.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:27 AM – 3:17 AM | 1.8 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:57 PM – 2:27 AM | 2.5 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:35 PM – 1:15 AM | 1.7 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:25 PM – 11:15 PM | 0.8 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:10 PM – 9:10 PM | 0.0 | 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.81 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 3.5+ 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 51% 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 | 43 | 54 | 75 | 83 | 87 | 92 | 103 | 96 | 93 | 81 | 66 | 43 |
| Low °F | -43 | -32 | -32 | 4 | 24 | 38 | 45 | 42 | 30 | 6 | -9 | -31 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 2.9 | 1.2 | 1.1 |
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 national wildlife refuge
- Fast shutter speeds (1/2000 s+) freeze wingbeats; raise ISO rather than lose the shot.
- Migration peaks bring the largest concentrations — see the birding calendar for this state.
- Use auto-loop roads as mobile blinds; animals often tolerate vehicles more than people on foot.
- Stay on designated routes and keep a respectful distance — if an animal changes behavior, you are too close.
- A 400–600 mm lens (or a crop body) is the usual tool for birds.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Spring and autumn migration are the highlights; winter brings waterfowl to many southern refuges.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens (400 mm+), Bean bag for car window, Binoculars. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Launching or landing drones on National Wildlife Refuge lands generally requires a special use permit from the refuge manager, and wildlife disturbance rules apply everywhere.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
Fire Lookout
Fire Lookout
State Park
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge from Aitkin?
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.