Lake Seminole is a lake in Pinellas County, Florida. It sits roughly 2.7 km (1.7 mi) NNE of Seminole.
Lake Seminole (, SEM-i-nohl) is a freshwater lake in urban Pinellas County in the U.S. state of Florida. The lake is located in the city of Seminole, about 20 miles (32 km) west of Tampa. Lake Seminole is the second largest lake in Pinellas County (after Lake Tarpon), with a surface area of 700 acres (2.8 km2). Once a tidal estuary, Lake Seminole was created in the 1940s by closing the upper portion of Long Bayou. Lake Seminole's watershed is unusually small for a lake of its size, draining only approximately 5.5 miles of the county, in mostly developed Seminole and Largo. Historically the watershed was much larger than its current limits, but was altered in the early 1970s to divert runoff into Long Bayou for flood relief. Due to the low volume of water, and the nutrient and pollutant rich drainage from the urbanized area surrounding the lake, water quality has been a concern, with...From the Wikipedia article “Lake Seminole (Pinellas County, Florida)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Seminole 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 86° in summer but only 39° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:36 AM | 90° E | 7:43 PM | 270° W | 62° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:36 AM | 63° ENE | 8:31 PM | 297° WNW | 86° | 13h 54m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:20 AM | 89° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 62° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:19 AM | 116° ESE | 5:41 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 | 6:59 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:24 PM | 5:58 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 34m |
| February | 6:46 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:42 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 13m |
| March | 7:18 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:13 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:04 PM | 11h 59m |
| April | 6:43 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:38 AM | 7:25 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:21 PM | 12h 50m |
| May | 6:17 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 31m |
| June | 6:09 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:56 PM | 13h 54m |
| July | 6:19 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:30 PM | 8:56 PM | 13h 45m |
| August | 6:38 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 09m |
| September | 6:54 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:48 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:01 PM | 12h 20m |
| October | 7:08 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 31m |
| November | 6:29 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:27 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 47m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 23m |
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 Seminole, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.0 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 | 4:42 AM – 5:42 AM | 1.0 | 20° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:48 AM – 6:18 AM | 2.5 | 30° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:47 AM – 5:37 AM | 3.8 | 33° | SE → S |
| May | 11:51 PM – 5:11 AM | 5.3 | 33° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:02 PM – 5:02 AM | 7.0 | 33° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:00 PM – 3:30 AM | 5.5 | 33° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:34 PM – 1:34 AM | 4.0 | 33° | S → SW |
| September | 8:56 PM – 11:26 PM | 2.5 | 30° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:21 PM – 9:31 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 ≈ 18.6 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show April as the clearest month (about 43% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (67%). August 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 | 81 | 84 | 89 | 92 | 95 | 96 | 94 | 93 | 92 | 89 | 86 | 83 |
| Low °F | 30 | 35 | 40 | 47 | 60 | 70 | 73 | 73 | 65 | 47 | 42 | 36 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.4 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 3.4 | 8.3 | 8.4 | 9.1 | 7.3 | 2.8 | 1.9 | 2.4 |
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
- 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 Seminole, closest first.
Beach
Botanical Garden
State Park
LighthouseBeach
State ParkBeach
State Park
National Wildlife RefugeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Seminole?
What time is golden hour at Lake Seminole?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Seminole?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Seminole?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Seminole?
How far is Lake Seminole from Seminole?
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.