East Lake Tohopekaliga — a lake in Osceola County, Florida — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 5.4 km (3.4 mi) N of Saint Cloud.
East Lake Tohopekaliga (East Lake Toho for short) is a lake in Osceola County, Florida, United States. It is the primary inflow of Boggy Creek, which rises in the Orlando International Airport at 70 feet (21 m) above sea level. Three places surround the lake, they are St. Cloud on the south shore, and Narcoossee and Runnymede on the east shore. The lake covers an area of 11,968 acres (48.43 km2) and is almost 5 miles (8.0 km) in diameter (about the diameter of Blue Cypress Lake in Indian River County, 50 miles (80 km) to the southeast), making it the 2nd largest lake in Osceola County, after Lake Tohopekaliga, which is linked by Canal 31 (St. Cloud Canal).From the Wikipedia article “East Lake Tohopekaliga”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At East Lake Tohopekaliga 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 38° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:30 AM | 90° E | 7:37 PM | 271° W | 62° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:29 AM | 63° ENE | 8:26 PM | 297° WNW | 85° | 13h 57m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:14 AM | 89° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 62° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:14 AM | 116° ESE | 5:34 PM | 244° WSW | 38° | 10h 20m |
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 | 6:54 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:17 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 32m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:40 PM | 11h 12m |
| March | 7:12 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:07 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:34 PM | 7:58 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:36 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:32 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:15 PM | 12h 50m |
| May | 6:10 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 33m |
| June | 6:02 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:51 PM | 13h 56m |
| July | 6:12 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:51 PM | 13h 46m |
| August | 6:31 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:28 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 10m |
| September | 6:47 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:55 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:25 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:21 PM | 11h 31m |
| November | 6:23 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:22 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:33 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 45m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:32 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 21m |
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 East Lake Tohopekaliga, 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 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 | 4:35 AM – 5:35 AM | 1.0 | 20° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:52 AM – 6:12 AM | 2.3 | 29° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:42 AM – 5:32 AM | 3.8 | 33° | SE → S |
| May | 11:47 PM – 4:57 AM | 5.2 | 33° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:58 PM – 4:48 AM | 6.8 | 33° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:56 PM – 3:26 AM | 5.5 | 33° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:29 PM – 1:19 AM | 3.8 | 33° | S → SW |
| September | 8:50 PM – 11:20 PM | 2.5 | 30° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:15 PM – 9:25 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: 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 ≈ 19.47 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show November as the clearest month (about 41% average cloud cover) and June as the cloudiest (61%). 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 | 86 | 89 | 96 | 98 | 101 | 102 | 99 | 99 | 94 | 93 | 89 | 87 |
| Low °F | 23 | 26 | 33 | 40 | 53 | 66 | 67 | 69 | 60 | 37 | 36 | 25 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 3.8 | 8.3 | 7.1 | 7.5 | 6.9 | 3.5 | 1.9 | 2.3 |
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
- 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.
- 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 East Lake Tohopekaliga, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph East Lake Tohopekaliga?
What time is golden hour at East Lake Tohopekaliga?
Where does the sun rise and set at East Lake Tohopekaliga?
Can you see the Milky Way from East Lake Tohopekaliga?
Do you need a permit to photograph at East Lake Tohopekaliga?
How far is East Lake Tohopekaliga from Saint Cloud?
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.