Lake Monroe is a lake in Volusia County, Florida. The nearest town is Sanford, about 2.4 km (1.5 mi) away (Lake Monroe lies NNE of town).
Lake Monroe is one of the lakes that make up the St. Johns River system. The lake has an area of 8,771 acres (3,549 ha). The city of Sanford is situated along the southern shore, while Deltona and the unincorporated community of Enterprise are located along the northern shore. The Lake Monroe Wildlife Management Area lies on the southeast shore.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Monroe (Florida)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Monroe the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 63° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 298° (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 | 61° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:28 AM | 63° ENE | 8:27 PM | 298° WNW | 85° | 13h 59m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:14 AM | 89° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:15 AM | 117° ESE | 5:33 PM | 244° WSW | 38° | 10h 18m |
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 | 7:20 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 30m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:40 PM | 11h 11m |
| 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 | 7:00 AM | 7:32 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:16 PM | 12h 51m |
| May | 6:09 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 35m |
| June | 6:00 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 58m |
| July | 6:11 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 49m |
| August | 6:30 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 11m |
| 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 | 7:27 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:25 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:20 PM | 11h 30m |
| November | 6:24 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:32 PM | 5:57 PM | 10h 43m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:57 PM | 10h 19m |
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 Monroe, 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 32° 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 | 4:35 AM – 5:35 AM | 1.0 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:52 AM – 6:12 AM | 2.3 | 29° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:43 AM – 5:33 AM | 3.8 | 32° | SE → S |
| May | 11:49 PM – 4:59 AM | 5.2 | 32° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:00 PM – 4:50 AM | 6.8 | 32° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:58 PM – 3:28 AM | 5.5 | 32° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:31 PM – 1:21 AM | 3.8 | 32° | S → SW |
| September | 8:51 PM – 11:21 PM | 2.5 | 29° | 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: 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 ≈ 18.5 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 Monroe, closest first.
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
Botanical GardenCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Monroe?
What time is golden hour at Lake Monroe?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Monroe?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Monroe?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Monroe?
How far is Lake Monroe from Sanford?
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.