Lake Fannie is a lake in Polk County, Florida. It sits roughly 4.8 km (3.0 mi) SE of Lake Alfred.
Lake Fannie is a natural freshwater lake on the northeast side of Winter Haven, Florida. This lake has an 802-acre (3,250,000 m2) surface area. Much of its shoreline area is swamp like, but the rest of the lake is free of surface vegetation. Lake Idyl is bordered on the north by Polk County Road 544, on part of the east side by a residential area and on most of the rest of its shoreline by woods. The public has access to this lake on its north shore, along County road 544. Also, a public boat ramp, accessed from 544, in on the northeast shore of Lake Fannie. Lake Fannie is part of the north system of the Winter Haven Chain of Lakes. Lake Fannie is connected by canal on its west side to Lake Smart and on its east side to Lake Hamilton (Florida). However, for a number of years the water level in the canals was so low or even nonexistent that Lake Fannie did not connect into the canal...From the Wikipedia article “Lake Fannie”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Fannie 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 | 271° 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 | 5:36 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 | 7:54 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 33m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:42 PM | 11h 13m |
| March | 7:14 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:08 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:36 PM | 7:59 PM | 11h 59m |
| April | 6:38 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:16 PM | 12h 50m |
| May | 6:12 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 32m |
| June | 6:04 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 55m |
| July | 6:14 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:14 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 | 8:31 PM | 13h 09m |
| September | 6:49 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 | 7:59 AM | 6:27 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:22 PM | 11h 31m |
| November | 6:25 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:23 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:35 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 22m |
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 Fannie, 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 | 4:37 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: 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 ≈ 19.46 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
- 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 Lake Fannie, closest first.
Lake
Lake
Botanical Garden
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Fannie?
What time is golden hour at Lake Fannie?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Fannie?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Fannie?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Fannie?
How far is Lake Fannie from Lake Alfred?
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.