Lake Acworth — a lake in Cobb County, Georgia at about 258 m (846 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Acworth, about 1.0 km (0.6 mi) away (Lake Acworth lies SSW of town).
Lake Acworth is a 260-acre (110 ha) artificial lake southwest of the city of Acworth, Georgia. It is in the extreme northwestern part of Cobb County. The lake impounds Proctor Creek (not the same as Proctor Creek in nearby Atlanta) and Butler Creek. It outflows into Lake Allatoona. The low dam is at the point where State Route 92 (Lake Acworth Drive) crossed over prior to 2023 (34.0584°N 84.693°W / 34.0584; -84.693 (Lake Acworth Dam)). The lake was formed by a 48-foot-wide concrete dam that was built by the US Army Corps of Engineers in 1950, during the construction of Lake Allatoona. A detailed, video-recorded oral history of the lake’s creation and the federal/state/ocal politics which played a part in its formation is available from the Save Acworth History Foundation via YouTube.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Acworth”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Acworth the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:43 AM | 90° E | 7:51 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:28 AM | 61° ENE | 8:54 PM | 299° WNW | 79° | 14h 26m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:27 AM | 89° E | 7:37 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:41 AM | 118° ESE | 5:34 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 53m |
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 | 7:18 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:22 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:20 PM | 10h 08m |
| February | 6:59 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:49 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 7:25 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:23 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:12 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:43 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 6:10 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:01 PM | 13h 56m |
| June | 5:59 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:05 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 25m |
| July | 6:10 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:20 PM | 14h 13m |
| August | 6:35 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:54 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 6:58 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:56 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:12 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 7:19 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:18 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 6:46 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 24m |
| December | 7:10 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:16 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:32 PM | 5:59 PM | 9h 54m |
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 Acworth, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 27° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:17 AM – 5:57 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:30 AM – 6:20 AM | 1.8 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:28 AM – 5:38 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 12:31 AM – 4:51 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:37 PM – 4:37 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:33 PM – 3:13 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:59 PM – 1:09 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 9:12 PM – 11:12 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:29 PM – 9:09 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| 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 ≈ 19.04 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 45% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (63%). 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 | 71 | 75 | 83 | 85 | 92 | 107 | 104 | 102 | 100 | 97 | 84 | 74 |
| Low °F | 2 | 6 | 20 | 21 | 33 | 48 | 52 | 52 | 38 | 25 | 17 | 12 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.3 | 5.1 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 5.5 |
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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Acworth, closest first.
Beach
Ghost Town
Mountain Peak
Scenic Viewpoint
State Park
Mountain PeakBeach
Mountain Peak
Covered BridgeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Galt'S Ferry Day Use Area (Ga)8.8 km (5.5 mi) · reservable
- Payne Campground-Allatoona Lake11.7 km (7.3 mi) · reservable
- Victoria Campground11.8 km (7.4 mi) · reservable
- Riverside Park Day Use Area (Ga)12.8 km (7.9 mi) · reservable
- Cooper'S Furnace Day Use Area (Ga)12.9 km (8.0 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Acworth?
What time is golden hour at Lake Acworth?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Acworth?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Acworth?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Acworth?
How far is Lake Acworth from Acworth?
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.