Located in Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut, Candlewood Lake is a lake at about 127 m (417 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is New Fairfield, about 4.3 km (2.7 mi) away (Candlewood Lake lies NNE of town).
Candlewood Lake is a manmade lake located in Fairfield and Litchfield counties of Western Connecticut, in the northeastern United States. At 8.4 square miles (22 km2), it is the largest lake in Connecticut and the largest lake in the New York metropolitan area. The lake is bordered by the city of Danbury, and the towns of Brookfield, New Fairfield, New Milford, and Sherman. Some of the most expensive real estate in the Greater Danbury area is located along the shores of the lake.From the Wikipedia article “Candlewood Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Candlewood Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (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) | 6:58 AM | 90° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:21 AM | 57° ENE | 8:32 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 11m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:42 AM | 89° E | 6:53 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:18 AM | 121° ESE | 4:28 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 10m |
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 | 7:19 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 30m |
| February | 6:22 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 38m |
| March | 6:39 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:43 AM | 6:24 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:46 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:52 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:03 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 5:04 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 31m |
| June | 4:46 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:04 PM | 15h 10m |
| July | 5:01 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 54m |
| August | 5:34 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 52m |
| September | 6:07 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:11 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:33 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:38 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:42 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:14 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:25 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 52m |
| December | 6:43 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:58 AM | 3:41 PM | 4:26 PM | 4:57 PM | 9h 12m |
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 Candlewood Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 6 (bright 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 | 12:22 AM – 3:32 AM | 3.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:40 PM – 3:10 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:30 PM – 1:40 AM | 3.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:41 PM – 11:41 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:40 PM – 9:40 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:47 PM – 7:47 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SW → SW |
| 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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.37 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
- 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.
- Expose for the brighter sky; reflections are typically half a stop to a stop darker.
- After sunset, long exposures smooth wind ripples into glass.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Candlewood Lake, closest first.
State Park
State Park
Scenic Viewpoint
Waterfall
CaveScenic Viewpoint
State Park
State Park
LakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Candlewood Lake?
What time is golden hour at Candlewood Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Candlewood Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Candlewood Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Candlewood Lake?
How far is Candlewood Lake from New Fairfield?
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.