Buoy at the BARCO lake field site
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29.6760° N82.0085° W28 mBortle 3New York

Lake Barco Photography Guide

Lake in Putnam County, Florida · 28 m (92 ft)

  • Bortle 3 sky
  • Sunset azimuth 243°–298°
  • Clearest: May
  • Milky Way Feb–Oct
Photo: NEON Science · CC BY 2.0 · source

Located in Putnam County, Florida, Lake Barco is a lake. The nearest town is Hawthorne, about 12.1 km (7.5 mi) away (Lake Barco lies NE of town).

Lake Barco is a lake in Putnam County, Florida, United States. It is within the Ordway-Swisher Biological Station of the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. It is roughly circular, about 200 metres (660 ft) in diameter. The nearest settlement is Melrose, Florida, about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) to the northwest.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Barco”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Elevation
28 m
92 ft
Nearest town
Hawthorne
12.1 km (7.5 mi)
Sky darkness
Bortle 3
Rural sky
Clearest month
May
41% cloud
Milky Way peak
June
6.7 h window
Golden hour (Oct)
6:27 PM
sunset 6:59 PM

Light at Lake Barco

Live
Sunrise
7:33 AM
Sunset
6:53 PM
Golden hour AM
7:19 AM – 8:06 AM
Golden hour PM
6:21 PM – 7:08 PM
Blue hour AM
7:09 AM – 7:19 AM
Blue hour PM
7:08 PM – 7:18 PM
Full darkness
8:13 PM – 6:14 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 70%
Moonrise / set
3:40 PM / 2:04 AM
Day length
11h 20m
Sunrise azimuth
101°
Sunset azimuth
259°
000306091215182124
NightTwilightBlue hourGolden hourDaylight

Times in America/New York. Golden hour = sun −4° to +6°; blue hour = −6° to −4°.

Clouds at sunrise & sunset

NWS

Hourly sky cover from the National Weather Service. 20–60% cloud often gives the most colorful sunrises and sunsets.

Sunrise & sunset directions

At Lake Barco the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 298° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 84° in summer but only 37° in winter.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice
DateSunriseAzimuthSunsetAzimuthNoon sunDaylight
March equinox (Mar 20)7:33 AM90° E7:40 PM271° W60°12h 07m
June solstice (Jun 21)6:29 AM62° ENE8:32 PM298° WNW84°14h 03m
September equinox (Sep 22)7:17 AM89° E7:26 PM271° W61°12h 09m
December solstice (Dec 21)7:20 AM117° ESE5:34 PM243° WSW37°10h 14m

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 startsSunriseGolden hour endsGolden hour startsSunsetBlue hour endsDaylight
January6:59 AM7:25 AM8:00 AM5:16 PM5:51 PM6:17 PM10h 27m
February6:44 AM7:09 AM7:41 AM5:45 PM6:18 PM6:42 PM11h 09m
March7:15 AM7:39 AM8:10 AM7:05 PM7:37 PM8:01 PM11h 58m
April6:38 AM7:02 AM7:34 AM7:23 PM7:55 PM8:20 PM12h 53m
May6:10 AM6:36 AM7:10 AM7:41 PM8:14 PM8:40 PM13h 38m
June6:01 AM6:28 AM7:03 AM7:56 PM8:31 PM8:58 PM14h 02m
July6:12 AM6:38 AM7:13 AM7:56 PM8:31 PM8:58 PM13h 52m
August6:32 AM6:57 AM7:29 AM7:38 PM8:10 PM8:35 PM13h 13m
September6:50 AM7:14 AM7:45 AM7:03 PM7:35 PM7:59 PM12h 21m
October7:06 AM7:30 AM8:02 AM6:27 PM6:59 PM7:23 PM11h 29m
November6:28 AM6:53 AM7:28 AM4:59 PM5:34 PM5:59 PM10h 40m
December6:50 AM7:16 AM7:52 AM4:56 PM5:32 PM5:58 PM10h 15m

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 Lake Barco, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 31° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.

MonthCore visible (15th)HoursMax altitudeDirection
JanuaryBelow 10° in darkness—2°—
February4:48 AM – 5:38 AM0.818°SE → SE
March3:56 AM – 6:16 AM2.328°SE → SSE
April1:58 AM – 5:28 AM3.531°SE → S
May11:55 PM – 5:05 AM5.231°SE → SSW
June10:07 PM – 4:47 AM6.731°SE → SW
July10:04 PM – 3:24 AM5.331°SSE → SW
August9:36 PM – 1:16 AM3.731°S → SW
September8:55 PM – 11:15 PM2.328°SSW → SW
October8:18 PM – 9:18 PM1.020°SW → SW
NovemberBelow 10° in darkness—4°—
DecemberBelow 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.27 mag/arcsec².

Weather & best season

Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show May as the clearest month (about 41% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (60%). 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 (%)

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High °F838895971021031009996948884
Low °F202229375064666555342723
Precip. (in)2.93.23.22.63.47.87.48.05.72.42.22.9

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

  • 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.
  • Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.

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 Lake Barco, closest first.

Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State ParkState Park
Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park18 km away · Clay County
Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail State ParkState Park
Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail State Park20 km away · Alachua County
Newnans LakeLake
Newnans Lake20 km away · Alachua County · 20 m

FAQ

When is the best time to photograph Lake Barco?
May has the clearest skies on average; june is best for the milky way core. For light, plan around the first and last hour of sun. Autumn mornings bring mist and fall color; high-elevation lakes are usually ice-free only from early summer to mid-autumn.
What time is golden hour at Lake Barco?
In October the evening golden hour starts around 6:27 PM and ends after sunset at about 6:59 PM; the morning golden hour lasts until about 8:02 AM. Use the live widget above for exact times on any date.
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Barco?
Sunrise azimuth ranges from about 62° in June to 117° in December; sunset ranges from 298° to 243°. See the sun-path diagram for the full arc.
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Barco?
Yes — the core is visible from February to October on moonless nights. The estimated sky quality is Bortle 3 (rural sky).
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Barco?
Personal photography from public land rarely needs a permit. Commercial shoots, models, large groups and drones may require permission from the land manager — check before you go.
How far is Lake Barco from Hawthorne?
About 12.1 km (7.5 mi) in a straight line; driving distance is usually longer, especially in mountain terrain.

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.