Lac des Allemands is a lake in Saint John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana. It sits roughly 6.3 km (3.9 mi) NNE of Bayou Boeuf.
Lac des Allemands is a 12,000-acre (4,900 ha) lake located about 25 miles (40 km) southwest of New Orleans, Louisiana, in Lafourche, St. Charles, and St. John the Baptist Parishes. The lake name is French for "Lake of the Germans", referring to the early settlers who inhabited that part of Louisiana. St. Charles Parish and St. John the Baptist Parish are part of a region called the German Coast. Lac des Allemands is a shallow lake, with a maximum depth of 10 feet (3.0 m) and an average depth of about 5 feet (1.5 m). It is mostly located at sea level and measures about 5.5 miles (8.9 km) long and 6.5 miles (10.5 km) wide. The lake is fed by bayous in the Barataria Basin including Grand Bayou and Bayou Chevreuil. Its waters flow southeast into Bayou des Allemands, then into Lake Salvador and eventually the Gulf of Mexico. Lac des Allemands is surrounded by cypress swamp and the bayous...From the Wikipedia article “Lac des Allemands”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lac des Allemands 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) | 7:07 AM | 90° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:03 AM | 62° ENE | 8:07 PM | 298° WNW | 84° | 14h 04m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:51 AM | 89° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:55 AM | 117° ESE | 5:08 PM | 243° WSW | 37° | 10h 13m |
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 | 6:34 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 26m |
| February | 6:19 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:16 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:16 PM | 11h 09m |
| March | 6:49 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:35 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:12 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:08 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:54 PM | 12h 53m |
| May | 5:44 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 39m |
| June | 5:34 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 04m |
| July | 5:45 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 53m |
| August | 6:06 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 14m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:19 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:33 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 6:41 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:33 PM | 6:57 PM | 11h 28m |
| November | 6:03 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:02 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 39m |
| December | 6:25 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:32 PM | 10h 14m |
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 Lac des Allemands, 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 | 4:22 AM – 5:12 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:30 AM – 5:50 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:33 AM – 5:03 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 11:30 PM – 4:30 AM | 5.0 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:42 PM – 4:22 AM | 6.7 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:39 PM – 2:59 AM | 5.3 | 31° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:11 PM – 12:51 AM | 3.7 | 31° | S → SW |
| September | 8:29 PM – 10:49 PM | 2.3 | 28° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:52 PM – 8:52 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 ≈ 20.42 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 37% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (58%). August 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 | 78 | 81 | 84 | 87 | 93 | 96 | 96 | 97 | 93 | 91 | 83 | 78 |
| Low °F | 22 | 29 | 30 | 40 | 48 | 67 | 72 | 64 | 59 | 42 | 32 | 26 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.7 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 6.6 | 6.7 | 7.5 | 5.4 | 3.9 | 2.9 | 4.5 |
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.
- 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 Lac des Allemands, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lac des Allemands?
What time is golden hour at Lac des Allemands?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lac des Allemands?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lac des Allemands?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lac des Allemands?
How far is Lac des Allemands from Bayou Boeuf?
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.