Lake Barkley — a lake in Livingston County, Kentucky — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 11.4 km (7.1 mi) E of Calvert City.
Lake Barkley, a 58,000-acre (230 km2) reservoir in Livingston County, Lyon County and Trigg County in Kentucky and extending into Stewart County and Houston County in Tennessee, was impounded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1966 upon the completion of Barkley Dam. Both the lake and the dam are named for Vice President Alben Barkley, a Kentucky native. The dam impounds the Cumberland River near Grand Rivers, Kentucky, approximately 38 miles (61 km) upstream from where the Cumberland empties into the Ohio River. One mile (1.6 km) above the dam is a canal connecting Lake Barkley with Kentucky Lake, forming one of the greatest freshwater recreational complexes in the country. The lakes run parallel courses for more than 50 miles (80 km), with the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area located between them.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Barkley”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Barkley the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:57 AM | 90° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:34 AM | 60° ENE | 8:17 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 42m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:41 AM | 89° E | 6:51 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:03 AM | 119° ESE | 4:40 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 37m |
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 | 6:38 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 54m |
| February | 6:16 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:19 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 51m |
| March | 6:39 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:52 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:54 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:55 PM | 13h 08m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:24 PM | 14h 09m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 41m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 28m |
| August | 5:43 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 36m |
| September | 6:10 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:28 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:35 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:05 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:10 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:12 PM | 10h 12m |
| December | 6:31 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:40 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 38m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Barkley, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:51 AM – 5:11 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:57 AM – 5:27 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:50 AM – 4:40 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 11:58 PM – 3:58 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:07 PM – 3:37 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:01 PM – 2:11 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:22 PM – 12:12 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:30 PM – 10:10 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:44 PM – 8:14 PM | 0.5 | 14° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.61 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (67%). 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 | 72 | 79 | 85 | 90 | 108 | 109 | 105 | 101 | 94 | 81 | 73 |
| Low °F | -5 | -3 | 5 | 23 | 35 | 43 | 53 | 51 | 39 | 26 | 13 | -3 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 5.3 | 5.0 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 4.1 |
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.
- 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 Barkley, closest first.
Lake
State Park
National Wildlife RefugeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Eureka2.6 km (1.6 mi) · reservable
- Canal3.0 km (1.9 mi) · reservable
- Old Kuttawa10.6 km (6.6 mi) · reservable
- Hurricane Creek25 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Barkley?
What time is golden hour at Lake Barkley?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Barkley?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Barkley?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Barkley?
How far is Lake Barkley from Calvert City?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.