Eagle Lake is a lake in Polk County, Florida. The nearest town is Eagle Lake, about 1.6 km (1.0 mi) away (Eagle Lake lies NW of town).
Eagle Lake, is an elongated lake in shape located in the northern portion of Eagle Lake, Florida. This lake is a natural freshwater lake with a 647-acre (2,620,000 m2) surface area. Eagle Lake is bordered by residences of Eagle Lake and Polk County. The City of Eagle Lake maintains a boat ramp, and recreation area on the Eastern shore of Eagle Lake. Eagle Avenue leads directly into the public parking and access areas. There is a swimming area available with a white sand beach, and a pavilion is available as well. Eagle Lake contains predominantly largemouth bass, as well as bluegill and crappie.From the Wikipedia article “Eagle Lake (Florida)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Eagle Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 63° (ENE) at the June solstice and 116° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 297° (WNW) in June to 244° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 85° in summer but only 39° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:32 AM | 90° E | 7:39 PM | 270° W | 62° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:32 AM | 63° ENE | 8:27 PM | 297° WNW | 85° | 13h 55m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:16 AM | 89° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 62° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:15 AM | 116° ESE | 5:37 PM | 244° WSW | 39° | 10h 22m |
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 | 6:55 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 34m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 13m |
| March | 7:14 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:09 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:00 PM | 11h 59m |
| April | 6:39 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:17 PM | 12h 50m |
| May | 6:13 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 32m |
| June | 6:05 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 54m |
| July | 6:15 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 45m |
| August | 6:33 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 09m |
| September | 6:50 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 20m |
| October | 7:04 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:27 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 31m |
| November | 6:25 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:23 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 46m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 23m |
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 Eagle Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 33° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition), 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 | 4:37 AM – 5:37 AM | 1.0 | 20° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:44 AM – 6:14 AM | 2.5 | 30° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:44 AM – 5:34 AM | 3.8 | 33° | SE → S |
| May | 11:48 PM – 5:08 AM | 5.3 | 33° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:59 PM – 4:49 AM | 6.8 | 33° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:57 PM – 3:27 AM | 5.5 | 33° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:31 PM – 1:31 AM | 4.0 | 33° | S → SW |
| September | 8:52 PM – 11:22 PM | 2.5 | 30° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:17 PM – 9:27 PM | 1.2 | 21° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.78 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show November as the clearest month (about 39% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (59%). August 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 | 87 | 90 | 97 | 99 | 103 | 102 | 98 | 96 | 94 | 94 | 90 | 88 |
| Low °F | 24 | 28 | 34 | 41 | 54 | 66 | 70 | 68 | 62 | 38 | 37 | 26 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.9 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 4.1 | 8.5 | 7.3 | 7.7 | 6.7 | 3.4 | 1.7 | 2.2 |
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
- Expose for the brighter sky; reflections are typically half a stop to a stop darker.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Eagle Lake, closest first.
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Botanical Garden
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Botanical GardenFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Eagle Lake?
What time is golden hour at Eagle Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Eagle Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Eagle Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Eagle Lake?
How far is Eagle Lake from Eagle Lake?
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.