Newnans Lake is a lake in Alachua County, Florida. It sits roughly 10.3 km (6.4 mi) E of Gainesville.
Newnans Lake (or Newnan's Lake) is a lake located off State Road 20, east of Gainesville, Florida. Approximately 1.12 miles (2 km) wide, Newnans Lake is home to wildlife and has been designated as a protected site by Alachua County. Newnans Lake State Forest is on the west side of the lake and there is a Newnans Lake Conservation Area. The Lake Pithlachocco Canoe Site where dugout canoes were found is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.From the Wikipedia article “Newnans Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Newnans Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 298° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 84° in summer but only 37° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:34 AM | 90° E | 7:41 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:30 AM | 62° ENE | 8:33 PM | 298° WNW | 84° | 14h 03m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:18 AM | 89° E | 7:27 PM | 271° W | 61° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:21 AM | 117° ESE | 5:35 PM | 243° WSW | 37° | 10h 14m |
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 | 7:00 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:17 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:18 PM | 10h 27m |
| February | 6:45 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:42 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 09m |
| March | 7:16 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:11 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:01 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:39 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:24 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:20 PM | 12h 53m |
| May | 6:11 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 38m |
| June | 6:02 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:31 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 02m |
| July | 6:13 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:32 PM | 8:58 PM | 13h 52m |
| August | 6:33 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 13m |
| September | 6:50 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:46 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:07 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 29m |
| November | 6:29 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:28 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 40m |
| December | 6:51 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:32 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 15m |
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 Newnans Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 31° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (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 | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:49 AM – 5:39 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:57 AM – 6:17 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:59 AM – 5:29 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 11:56 PM – 5:06 AM | 5.2 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:08 PM – 4:48 AM | 6.7 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:05 PM – 3:25 AM | 5.3 | 31° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:37 PM – 1:17 AM | 3.7 | 31° | S → SW |
| September | 8:56 PM – 11:16 PM | 2.3 | 28° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:19 PM – 9:19 PM | 1.0 | 20° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.15 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show May as the clearest month (about 41% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (60%). 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 | 83 | 88 | 95 | 97 | 102 | 103 | 100 | 99 | 96 | 94 | 88 | 84 |
| Low °F | 20 | 22 | 29 | 37 | 50 | 64 | 66 | 65 | 55 | 34 | 27 | 23 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 7.8 | 7.4 | 8.0 | 5.7 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 2.9 |
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
- After sunset, long exposures smooth wind ripples into glass.
- 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 Newnans Lake, closest first.
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State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Newnans Lake?
What time is golden hour at Newnans Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Newnans Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Newnans Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Newnans Lake?
How far is Newnans Lake from Gainesville?
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.