Bantam Lake — a lake in Northwest Hills Planning Region, Connecticut at about 272 m (892 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 5.7 km (3.5 mi) SSW of Litchfield.
Bantam Lake is the largest natural lake in Connecticut, covering 947 acres (383 ha) in the towns of Morris and Litchfield. Much of the land at the northern end of the lake, including the peninsula of Marsh Point, is protected by the White Memorial Foundation and home to a wide array of bird species. It is lined by campgrounds, camps for kids and has facilities for various water sports. The lake also has two public beaches, Morris Town Beach and Sandy Beach. It is home to the Bantam Lake Ski Club, the oldest, continuously operating water ski club in the United States, as well as the Litchfield Hills Rowing Club which offers Summer and Fall (high school) and Masters programs.From the Wikipedia article “Bantam Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bantam Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:57 AM | 90° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:19 AM | 57° ENE | 8:32 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 12m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:41 AM | 89° E | 6:52 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 122° ESE | 4:26 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 09m |
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 | 6:48 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 29m |
| February | 6:21 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 6:38 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:43 AM | 6:23 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:45 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:51 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:02 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 5:02 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 32m |
| June | 4:44 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:04 PM | 15h 11m |
| July | 4:59 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 55m |
| August | 5:32 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 52m |
| September | 6:06 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:32 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:37 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:41 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:13 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:24 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:04 PM | 9h 51m |
| December | 6:42 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:58 AM | 3:39 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:56 PM | 9h 10m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 Bantam Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:23 AM – 5:23 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:24 AM – 4:24 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:32 AM – 3:32 AM | 3.0 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:41 PM – 3:01 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:31 PM – 1:41 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 9:41 PM – 11:41 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:39 PM – 9:39 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.88 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 50% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (65%). 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 | 66 | 70 | 73 | 91 | 87 | 95 | 101 | 102 | 96 | 88 | 76 | 69 |
| Low °F | -16 | -15 | -8 | 18 | 30 | 38 | 49 | 50 | 37 | 21 | 6 | -2 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 3.6 | 4.2 |
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
- After sunset, long exposures smooth wind ripples into glass.
- For mirror reflections, get low and close to the water; the reflection grows with a lower camera.
- A polarizer can remove reflections to show the lakebed — or keep them, depending on rotation.
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Bantam Lake, closest first.
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
Lake
State Park
State Park
Ghost TownCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Northfield Brook Lake Group Shelters11.1 km (6.9 mi) · reservable
- Hop Brook Lake Recreation Area25 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bantam Lake?
What time is golden hour at Bantam Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bantam Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bantam Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bantam Lake?
How far is Bantam Lake from Litchfield?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.