Stump Pond (Balch Pond) — a lake in York County, Maine at about 170 m (558 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 6.8 km (4.2 mi) NE of Wakefield.
Balch Pond is a 577-acre (2.34 km2) water body located on the New Hampshire-Maine border, in the towns of Wakefield, New Hampshire, and Acton and Newfield, Maine. A northwest portion of the lake in New Hampshire is known as Stump Pond. Water flows from the eastern end of Balch Pond into the Little Ossipee River, a tributary of the Saco River. The lake is classified as a warmwater fishery, with observed species including largemouth bass, chain pickerel, brown bullhead, black crappie, yellow perch, and sunfish.From the Wikipedia article “Balch Pond”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Stump Pond (Balch Pond) the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:48 AM | 90° E | 6:56 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:03 AM | 56° NE | 8:30 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 26m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:32 AM | 89° E | 6:43 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:15 AM | 123° ESE | 4:11 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 56m |
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 | 6:43 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:00 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 18m |
| February | 6:14 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:44 PM | 10h 31m |
| March | 6:29 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:32 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:40 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:57 PM | 13h 25m |
| May | 4:47 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 42m |
| June | 4:27 AM | 5:03 AM | 5:47 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:04 PM | 15h 25m |
| July | 4:42 AM | 5:17 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:59 PM | 15h 07m |
| August | 5:18 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:20 PM | 14h 00m |
| September | 5:55 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:02 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:25 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:30 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:23 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:31 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:08 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:22 AM | 3:37 PM | 4:20 PM | 4:51 PM | 9h 42m |
| December | 6:38 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:58 AM | 3:22 PM | 4:09 PM | 4:41 PM | 8h 57m |
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 Stump Pond (Balch Pond), the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:36 AM – 5:16 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:31 AM – 4:11 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:34 AM – 3:14 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:48 PM – 2:38 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:36 PM – 1:16 AM | 2.7 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:40 PM – 11:20 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:34 PM – 9:14 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.98 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 50% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (66%). 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 | 60 | 61 | 73 | 85 | 83 | 89 | 90 | 95 | 94 | 79 | 68 | 62 |
| Low °F | -11 | -12 | -6 | 18 | 31 | 40 | 51 | 48 | 39 | 25 | 8 | -9 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.5 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 5.0 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 5.4 | 4.7 | 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
- 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 Stump Pond (Balch Pond), closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
Lake
State Park
Lake
Covered Bridge
LakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Stump Pond (Balch Pond)?
What time is golden hour at Stump Pond (Balch Pond)?
Where does the sun rise and set at Stump Pond (Balch Pond)?
Can you see the Milky Way from Stump Pond (Balch Pond)?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Stump Pond (Balch Pond)?
How far is Stump Pond (Balch Pond) from Wakefield?
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.