Solunar Calendar · Updated 2026-07-06
Best Fishing Times for Dark Lake
14-day solunar fishing calendar for Dark Lake, Koochiching County, Minnesota — sun and moon times calculated for lat 47.958, lon -94.095.
Dark Lake earns a D — measurements through 2025 show persistent nutrient pressure that limits clarity through the summer. Clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a all rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.
At a TSI of 63, Dark Lake reads as eutrophic — nutrient-rich enough that summer algal growth and reduced clarity are expected, not unusual. At 50 ft of maximum depth, Dark Lake stratifies reliably through the summer — the hypolimnion stays cooler and clearer than the surface layer suggests. Dark Lake covers 120 acres alongside 3.1 miles of shoreline — a mid-sized water that supports a working fishery without being so large that conditions diverge between basins. Dark Lake ranks 9 of 9 in Koochiching County — at the lower end of the locally monitored distribution.
Full water-quality breakdown: Dark Lake water-quality report.
Today at Dark Lake
Sunrise 5:24 AM, sunset 9:17 PM. Moon is Last Quarter (58% illuminated). Day rating: ★★☆☆☆.
Major periods: 5:07 AM – 7:07 AM; 5:29 PM – 7:29 PM
Minor periods: 11:27 PM – 12:27 AM; 12:02 PM – 1:02 PM
14-Day Fishing Calendar
No 3.5+ star solunar days in the next 14 days at Dark Lake — consider focusing on dawn and dusk windows. Anglers target black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, and others on Dark Lake.
| Date | Rating | Moon | Sunrise | Sunset | Major Periods | Minor Periods |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon, Jul 6 | ★★☆☆☆ | Last Quarter 58% lit | 5:24 AM | 9:17 PM | 5:07 AM – 7:07 AM 5:29 PM – 7:29 PM | 11:27 PM – 12:27 AM 12:02 PM – 1:02 PM |
| Tue, Jul 7 | ★☆☆☆☆ | Last Quarter 47% lit | 5:25 AM | 9:17 PM | 5:51 AM – 7:51 AM | 11:42 PM – 12:42 AM 1:17 PM – 2:17 PM |
| Wed, Jul 8 | ☆☆☆☆☆ | Waning Crescent 37% lit | 5:26 AM | 9:16 PM | 6:15 PM – 8:15 PM 6:39 AM – 8:39 AM | 11:59 PM – 12:59 AM 2:37 PM – 3:37 PM |
| Thu, Jul 9 | ☆☆☆☆☆ | Waning Crescent 27% lit | 5:27 AM | 9:16 PM | 7:04 PM – 9:04 PM 7:31 AM – 9:31 AM | 12:20 AM – 1:20 AM 3:59 PM – 4:59 PM |
| Fri, Jul 10 | ☆☆☆☆☆ | Waning Crescent 18% lit | 5:28 AM | 9:15 PM | 7:58 PM – 9:58 PM 8:27 AM – 10:27 AM | 12:48 AM – 1:48 AM 5:24 PM – 6:24 PM |
| Sat, Jul 11 | ½☆☆☆☆ | Waning Crescent 11% lit | 5:29 AM | 9:14 PM | 8:58 PM – 10:58 PM 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM | 1:26 AM – 2:26 AM |
| Sun, Jul 12 | ★☆☆☆☆ | Waning Crescent 5% lit | 5:29 AM | 9:14 PM | 10:02 PM – 12:02 AM 10:35 AM – 12:35 PM | 6:44 PM – 7:44 PM 2:18 AM – 3:18 AM |
| Mon, Jul 13 | ★½☆☆☆ | Waning Crescent 1% lit | 5:30 AM | 9:13 PM | 11:09 PM – 1:09 AM 11:41 AM – 1:41 PM | 7:51 PM – 8:51 PM 3:28 AM – 4:28 AM |
| Tue, Jul 14 | ★★½☆☆ | New Moon 0% lit | 5:31 AM | 9:12 PM | 12:14 AM – 2:14 AM 12:45 PM – 2:45 PM | 8:43 PM – 9:43 PM 4:51 AM – 5:51 AM |
| Wed, Jul 15 | ★★☆☆☆ | New Moon 1% lit | 5:32 AM | 9:11 PM | 1:15 AM – 3:15 AM 1:43 PM – 3:43 PM | 9:21 PM – 10:21 PM 6:19 AM – 7:19 AM |
| Thu, Jul 16 | ★☆☆☆☆ | Waxing Crescent 4% lit | 5:34 AM | 9:10 PM | 2:11 AM – 4:11 AM 2:37 PM – 4:37 PM | 9:48 PM – 10:48 PM 7:45 AM – 8:45 AM |
| Fri, Jul 17 | ½☆☆☆☆ | Waxing Crescent 9% lit | 5:35 AM | 9:10 PM | 3:02 AM – 5:02 AM 3:26 PM – 5:26 PM | 10:10 PM – 11:10 PM 9:08 AM – 10:08 AM |
| Sat, Jul 18 | ★½☆☆☆ | Waxing Crescent 16% lit | 5:36 AM | 9:09 PM | 3:49 AM – 5:49 AM 4:12 PM – 6:12 PM | 10:27 PM – 11:27 PM 10:26 AM – 11:26 AM |
| Sun, Jul 19 | ★★½☆☆ | Waxing Crescent 25% lit | 5:37 AM | 9:08 PM | 4:34 AM – 6:34 AM 4:56 PM – 6:56 PM | 10:43 PM – 11:43 PM 11:40 AM – 12:40 PM |
Server-rendered 14-day calendar starting 2026-07-06. Live in your browser shortly.
How to Read This Calendar
Major periods (≈2 hours) are centered on lunar transit (when the moon is highest in the sky) and lunar opposition (when the moon is directly underfoot). These are typically the strongest feeding windows.
Minor periods (≈1 hour) are centered on moonrise and moonset. They're secondary windows that often produce well — especially when they coincide with sunrise or sunset.
Day rating combines moon phase (peak near new and full moons, when lunar gravity is strongest) with the overlap of major periods and the dawn/dusk twilight. A 4–5 star day stacks all three.
At Dark Lake (lat 47.96°N), the longest day of the year is around June 21 with 16h 2m of daylight. The shortest is around December 21 with 8h 22m. Plan summer trips around the early-morning bite (as early as 5:00 AM) and the long evening window before sunset.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best time to fish Dark Lake today?
Today's solunar calendar for Dark Lake (lat 47.96, lon -94.09) shows sunrise at 5:24 AM and sunset at 9:17 PM. The strongest fishing windows are around major solunar periods at 5:07 AM–7:07 AM and 5:29 PM–7:29 PM, plus the 30-90 minutes around dawn and dusk.
What does the moon phase mean for fishing Dark Lake?
Solunar theory holds that fish activity peaks during major periods (when the moon is overhead or directly underfoot) and minor periods (moonrise and moonset). Fish feeding tends to intensify during the days surrounding the new moon and full moon, when lunar gravity is strongest. Today's moon at Dark Lake is Last Quarter (58% illuminated).
When are the longest and shortest days at Dark Lake?
At Dark Lake's latitude (47.96°N), the longest day of the year is around June 21 with about 16h 2m of daylight. The shortest day is around December 21 with about 8h 22m of daylight. Sunrise and sunset shift by roughly 6 hours between solstices.
Are major or minor solunar periods more important?
Major periods (about 2 hours, centered on lunar transit and lunar opposition) are generally considered the strongest feeding windows. Minor periods (about 1 hour, centered on moonrise and moonset) are secondary but still productive — especially when they overlap with sunrise or sunset.
More for Dark Lake
Solunar calculations based on lat/lon and Meeus astronomical formulas. Times shown in Central Time. Solunar theory is a heuristic — fish activity also depends on weather, water temperature, barometric pressure, and recent forage conditions. Always check local regulations and conditions before fishing.