Northern lights in Wisconsin tonight

Twenty-one islands off the Bayfield Peninsula on Lake Superior, about 90 km west of Ironwood on US-2. The north-facing lake shore of Madeline Island and the mainland unit at Little Sand Bay face directly north across Lake Superior with no horizon obstruction. Bortle 2-3 at the outer island positions. The combination of open water reflection and genuine darkness makes the Apostle Islands shoreline one of Wisconsin's best aurora positions. The Lakeshore drive north of Bayfield gives accessible mainland positions.

A large national forest covering much of northern Wisconsin between Rhinelander and Ashland. The forest interior gives Bortle 3-4 conditions away from the highway towns. Open boggy areas and lake clearings give north-facing sky. The Chequamegon side near Mellen and Cable is darker and further from light domes. North-facing lake shores within the forest - Trout Lake, Crystal Lake, and Namekagon Lake - give practical aurora positions without driving to the Lake Superior shore.

A state park in Mellen, 60 km south of Ashland, surrounded by national forest and with minimal local light pollution. The park gives north-facing sky without the drive to Lake Superior. The broader Penokee Range area between Hurley and Mellen sits at modest elevation with open ridges. Combined with the Chequamegon Forest to the east, northern Wisconsin has a continuous band of dark sky across its upper tier, accessible from US-2 and Highway 51.