Located in Russell County, Kentucky, Lake Cumberland is a lake. It sits roughly 10.7 km (6.6 mi) S of Jamestown.
Lake Cumberland is a reservoir in Clinton, Russell, Wayne, Pulaski and Laurel counties in Kentucky. The primary reasons for its construction were a means for flood control and the production of hydroelectric power. Its shoreline measures 1,255 miles (2,020 km) and the lake covers 65,530 acres (265 km2) at the maximum power pool elevation. The reservoir ranks 9th in the U.S. in volume, with a capacity of 6,100,000 acre-feet (7.5 km3) of water, enough to cover the entire Commonwealth of Kentucky with 3 inches (76 mm) of water. The main lake is 101 miles (163 km) long and over one mile (1.6 km) across at its widest point. The lake has become a major source of tourism and an economic engine for Southern Kentucky.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Cumberland”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Cumberland 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 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:45 AM | 90° E | 6:52 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:22 AM | 60° ENE | 8:04 PM | 301° WNW | 77° | 14h 42m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:29 AM | 89° E | 6:39 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:50 AM | 119° ESE | 4:28 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 38m |
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 | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 55m |
| February | 6:03 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:06 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 51m |
| March | 6:26 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:14 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:40 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:42 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:42 PM | 13h 08m |
| May | 5:04 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:10 PM | 14h 08m |
| June | 4:50 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 41m |
| July | 5:03 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 27m |
| August | 5:30 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:34 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:01 PM | 13h 35m |
| September | 5:57 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:57 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:16 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:22 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:23 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:31 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 5:52 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:57 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:00 PM | 10h 13m |
| December | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:27 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:26 PM | 4:55 PM | 9h 39m |
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 Cumberland, 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:38 AM – 4:58 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:44 AM – 5:14 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:37 AM – 4:27 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 11:45 PM – 3:45 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:54 PM – 3:24 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:48 PM – 1:58 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:09 PM – 11:59 PM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:17 PM – 9:57 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:31 PM – 8:01 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.69 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 48% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 69 | 73 | 82 | 85 | 95 | 107 | 105 | 104 | 101 | 96 | 85 | 73 |
| Low °F | 1 | -2 | 5 | 23 | 34 | 47 | 54 | 50 | 38 | 25 | 8 | 3 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.1 | 5.5 | 4.4 | 5.3 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 5.5 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 5.0 |
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
- Expose for the brighter sky; reflections are typically half a stop to a stop darker.
- 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.
- 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 Cumberland, closest first.
State Park
Waterfall
Natural Arch
Natural ArchWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Kendall Campground8.7 km (5.4 mi) · reservable
- Fall Creek Campground19.4 km (12.0 mi) · reservable
- Cumberland Point Campground20 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Mill Springs Mill Shelter24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Cumberland?
What time is golden hour at Lake Cumberland?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Cumberland?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Cumberland?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Cumberland?
How far is Lake Cumberland from Jamestown?
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.