Lake Thonotosassa is a lake in Hillsborough County, Florida. It sits roughly 2.4 km (1.5 mi) E of Thonotosassa.
Lake Thonotosassa is an 839 acres (340 ha) lake named after Thonotosassa, Florida. Residential development surrounds the lake. There are no roads that cross it, but the four roads that go around it are: Taylor Road/Fort King Highway (west), Thonotosassa Road (south), McIntosh Road (east), and Knights-Griffin Road (north). U.S. Route 301 is about a quarter-mile northeast of the lake. The lake is owned and maintained by the Tampa Port Authority.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Thonotosassa”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Thonotosassa 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) | 7:34 AM | 90° E | 7:41 PM | 271° W | 62° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:34 AM | 63° ENE | 8:29 PM | 297° WNW | 85° | 13h 55m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:18 AM | 89° E | 7:27 PM | 271° W | 62° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 116° ESE | 5:39 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 | 6:57 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:21 PM | 5:56 PM | 6:21 PM | 10h 33m |
| February | 6:44 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 13m |
| March | 7:16 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:11 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:02 PM | 11h 59m |
| April | 6:41 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:19 PM | 12h 50m |
| May | 6:15 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:38 PM | 13h 32m |
| June | 6:06 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:55 PM | 13h 55m |
| July | 6:17 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:55 PM | 13h 45m |
| August | 6:35 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:32 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 09m |
| September | 6:52 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:46 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:35 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 20m |
| October | 7:06 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:02 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 31m |
| November | 6:27 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:25 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 46m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:02 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 Thonotosassa, 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 | 4:39 AM – 5:39 AM | 1.0 | 20° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:46 AM – 6:16 AM | 2.5 | 30° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:46 AM – 5:36 AM | 3.8 | 33° | SE → S |
| May | 11:50 PM – 5:10 AM | 5.3 | 33° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:01 PM – 4:51 AM | 6.8 | 33° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:59 PM – 3:29 AM | 5.5 | 33° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:33 PM – 1:33 AM | 4.0 | 33° | S → SW |
| September | 8:54 PM – 11:24 PM | 2.5 | 30° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:19 PM – 9:29 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 ≈ 19.09 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show April as the clearest month (about 46% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 82 | 85 | 92 | 95 | 97 | 97 | 96 | 94 | 92 | 90 | 86 | 83 |
| Low °F | 26 | 30 | 36 | 44 | 57 | 68 | 71 | 70 | 61 | 43 | 37 | 31 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 9.0 | 9.1 | 9.6 | 6.9 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 2.6 |
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 Thonotosassa, closest first.
State Park
State Park
State Park
Ghost TownFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Thonotosassa?
What time is golden hour at Lake Thonotosassa?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Thonotosassa?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Thonotosassa?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Thonotosassa?
How far is Lake Thonotosassa from Thonotosassa?
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.