Lake Pontchartrain — a lake in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 19.1 km (11.9 mi) S of Mandeville.
Lake Pontchartrain ( PON-chə-trayn; French: Lac Pontchartrain, pronounced [lak pɔ̃ʃaʁtrɛ̃] ) is an estuary in southeastern Louisiana in the United States. It covers 630 square miles (1,600 km2) with an average depth of 12 to 14 feet (3.7 to 4.3 m). Some shipping channels are kept deeper through dredging. It is roughly oval, about 40 miles (64 km) from west to east and 24 miles (39 km) from south to north. As an estuary, its "Lake" title is a misnomer, but only a slight one, as its passage to the open sea is narrow.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Pontchartrain”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Pontchartrain 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 83° in summer but only 36° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:05 AM | 90° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:00 AM | 62° ENE | 8:06 PM | 298° WNW | 83° | 14h 06m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:49 AM | 89° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:53 AM | 117° ESE | 5:05 PM | 243° WSW | 36° | 10h 12m |
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 | 6:32 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 25m |
| February | 6:17 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:14 AM | 5:17 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:14 PM | 11h 08m |
| March | 6:47 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:43 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:09 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 54m |
| May | 5:41 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 40m |
| June | 5:32 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 05m |
| July | 5:43 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 55m |
| August | 6:03 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 15m |
| September | 6:22 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:31 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 6:39 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 28m |
| November | 6:01 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:01 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:31 PM | 10h 38m |
| December | 6:24 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:29 PM | 10h 13m |
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 Pontchartrain, 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 | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:20 AM – 5:20 AM | 1.0 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:28 AM – 5:48 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:31 AM – 5:01 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 11:28 PM – 4:28 AM | 5.0 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:41 PM – 4:21 AM | 6.7 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:38 PM – 2:48 AM | 5.2 | 31° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:09 PM – 12:49 AM | 3.7 | 31° | S → SW |
| September | 8:28 PM – 10:48 PM | 2.3 | 28° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:50 PM – 8:50 PM | 1.0 | 19° | 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 ≈ 20.47 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 38% average cloud cover) and February 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 | 79 | 82 | 87 | 97 | 100 | 105 | 105 | 107 | 102 | 98 | 87 | 81 |
| Low °F | 18 | 23 | 22 | 36 | 41 | 58 | 64 | 57 | 49 | 34 | 22 | 22 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.7 | 5.1 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 5.1 | 6.8 | 6.2 | 6.9 | 4.8 | 4.3 | 3.5 | 5.4 |
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 Lake Pontchartrain, closest first.
Lighthouse
National Wildlife Refuge
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
State Park
LighthouseLighthouseLighthouse
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Pontchartrain?
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How far is Lake Pontchartrain from Mandeville?
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.