Located in Elmore County, Alabama, Lake Martin is a lake. The nearest town is Dadeville, about 14.7 km (9.1 mi) away (Lake Martin lies WSW of town).
Lake Martin is located in Tallapoosa, Elmore and Coosa counties in Alabama. It is a 44,000-acre (178 km2) reservoir with over 750 miles (1,200 km) of wooded shoreline. Lake Martin is a reservoir, enlarged by the construction of Martin Dam on the Tallapoosa River. The Martin Dam powerhouse is used to generate hydroelectric power for the Alabama Power Company. Construction on Martin Dam began in 1923 and was completed in 1926, creating what was, at that time, the largest human-made body of water in the world. Originally known as Cherokee Bluffs for the geological formation upon which it was built, the dam was renamed in 1936 in honor of Thomas Martin, the then-president of Alabama Power Company. Alabama Power and Russell Lands own some of the shoreline. Lake Martin covers the submerged remnants of Kowaliga (or Kowaliga), a prosperous, early 20th-century Black community founded by...From the Wikipedia article “Lake Martin”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Martin the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 81° in summer but only 34° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:48 AM | 90° E | 6:56 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:37 AM | 61° ENE | 7:55 PM | 299° WNW | 81° | 14h 19m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:32 AM | 89° E | 6:42 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:43 AM | 118° ESE | 4:42 PM | 242° WSW | 34° | 9h 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 | 6:20 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:27 PM | 10h 14m |
| February | 6:03 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:02 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:55 PM | 11h 02m |
| March | 6:30 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:17 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:49 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:48 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:39 PM | 12h 59m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:03 PM | 13h 50m |
| June | 5:07 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:22 PM | 14h 18m |
| July | 5:19 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:21 PM | 14h 06m |
| August | 5:42 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:42 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:56 PM | 13h 22m |
| September | 6:03 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:01 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:16 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:23 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:21 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:37 PM | 11h 24m |
| November | 5:48 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:50 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:10 PM | 10h 29m |
| December | 6:12 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:17 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:07 PM | 10h 00m |
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 Lake Martin, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 28° 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 | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:13 AM – 5:03 AM | 0.8 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:24 AM – 5:24 AM | 2.0 | 25° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:20 AM – 4:40 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:21 PM – 4:01 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:36 PM – 3:46 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:32 PM – 2:22 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:00 PM – 12:20 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 8:15 PM – 10:25 PM | 2.2 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:34 PM – 8:24 PM | 0.8 | 17° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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 ≈ 21.48 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 41% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (58%). 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 | 76 | 81 | 85 | 92 | 101 | 106 | 105 | 107 | 104 | 103 | 88 | 79 |
| Low °F | 4 | 20 | 22 | 31 | 42 | 55 | 58 | 56 | 45 | 29 | 21 | 19 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.1 | 5.1 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 2.8 | 3.8 | 5.4 |
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 lake
- Mist often lifts off lakes on cold mornings after warm days, especially in autumn.
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Lake Martin, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Martin?
What time is golden hour at Lake Martin?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Martin?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Martin?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Martin?
How far is Lake Martin from Dadeville?
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.