Located in Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut, Gardner Lake is a lake at about 116 m (381 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 4.7 km (2.9 mi) ENE of Salem.
Gardner Lake is a natural lake lying at the junction of the towns of Salem, Montville and Bozrah in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Named after the Gardner family who owned a large portion of the surrounding land, the 529-acre (214 ha) lake has been expanded in size with the construction of a 168-foot (51 m) earthen dam. The dam raises the water level up 4 feet (1.2 m) to an average depth of 14 feet (4.3 m). The area surrounding Gardner Lake has dozens of private homes, four campgrounds and a marina. Three state parks are located around the lake: Minnie Island State Park, Hopemead State Park and Gardner Lake State Park.From the Wikipedia article “Gardner Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Gardner 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) | 6:53 AM | 90° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:16 AM | 57° ENE | 8:27 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 11m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:37 AM | 89° E | 6:48 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:13 AM | 121° ESE | 4:23 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 | 6:43 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 30m |
| February | 6:17 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 38m |
| March | 6:34 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:41 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:47 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:58 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 4:59 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 31m |
| June | 4:41 AM | 5:15 AM | 5:57 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:59 PM | 15h 10m |
| July | 4:56 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 54m |
| August | 5:29 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:20 PM | 13h 52m |
| September | 6:02 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:24 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:28 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:37 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:09 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:20 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 52m |
| December | 6:38 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:54 AM | 3:36 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:52 PM | 9h 11m |
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 Gardner 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 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 | 4:18 AM – 5:18 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:19 AM – 4:19 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:17 AM – 3:27 AM | 3.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:35 PM – 3:05 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:25 PM – 1:35 AM | 3.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:36 PM – 11:36 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:35 PM – 9:35 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:42 PM – 7:42 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: 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 ≈ 19.84 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 49% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 63 | 63 | 73 | 89 | 87 | 94 | 100 | 100 | 95 | 86 | 76 | 68 |
| Low °F | -10 | -12 | -1 | 21 | 33 | 40 | 51 | 51 | 41 | 23 | 10 | 4 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 4.3 |
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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Gardner Lake, closest first.
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Covered Bridge
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Gardner Lake?
What time is golden hour at Gardner Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Gardner Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Gardner Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Gardner Lake?
How far is Gardner Lake from Salem?
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.