Located in Polk County, Florida, Lake Mirror is a lake at about 55 m (180 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 600 m NNW of Lakeland.
Lake Mirror is a lake in Lakeland, Florida. Lake Mirror was so named on account of the clarity of its waters. The city of Lakeland operates the Lake Mirror Complex, a recreation center at the lake. Hollis Garden is located adjacent to the lake.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Mirror (Lakeland)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Mirror 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) | 7:33 AM | 90° E | 7:40 PM | 271° W | 62° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:33 AM | 63° ENE | 8:28 PM | 297° WNW | 85° | 13h 55m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:17 AM | 89° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 62° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:16 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 | 6:56 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:20 PM | 10h 33m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 13m |
| March | 7:15 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:09 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:00 PM | 11h 59m |
| April | 6:39 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:17 PM | 12h 50m |
| May | 6:13 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 32m |
| June | 6:05 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 55m |
| July | 6:16 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 45m |
| August | 6:34 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:31 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 09m |
| September | 6:50 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:45 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:34 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 20m |
| October | 7:05 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 31m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:24 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 46m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:01 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 Mirror, 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 | 4:38 AM – 5:38 AM | 1.0 | 20° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:45 AM – 6:15 AM | 2.5 | 30° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:45 AM – 5:35 AM | 3.8 | 33° | SE → S |
| May | 11:49 PM – 5:09 AM | 5.3 | 33° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:00 PM – 4:50 AM | 6.8 | 33° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:58 PM – 3:28 AM | 5.5 | 33° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:32 PM – 1:32 AM | 4.0 | 33° | S → SW |
| September | 8:53 PM – 11:23 PM | 2.5 | 30° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:18 PM – 9:28 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 ≈ 18.44 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
- 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.
- Expose for the brighter sky; reflections are typically half a stop to a stop darker.
- After sunset, long exposures smooth wind ripples into glass.
- 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 Mirror, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Mirror?
What time is golden hour at Lake Mirror?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Mirror?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Mirror?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Mirror?
How far is Lake Mirror from Lakeland?
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.