Culler Lake is a lake in Frederick County, Maryland at about 87 m (285 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 1.2 km (0.7 mi) WNW of Frederick.
Culler Lake is a man-made lake in Frederick, Maryland. The lake is used as part of stormwater management and it is also a gathering place for community recreation and it was restored and revitalized in 2016. The lake is located in Baker park.From the Wikipedia article “Culler Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Culler Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:14 AM | 90° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:44 AM | 58° ENE | 8:41 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 57m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:58 AM | 89° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:27 AM | 120° ESE | 4:50 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 23m |
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 | 6:59 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:10 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 42m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:05 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:27 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 20m |
| June | 5:11 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 56m |
| July | 5:24 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 41m |
| August | 5:54 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 44m |
| September | 6:25 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:47 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:25 PM | 10h 02m |
| December | 6:53 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 24m |
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 Culler Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition), 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:17 AM – 5:27 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:27 AM – 5:47 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:24 AM – 4:54 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:27 AM – 3:57 AM | 3.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:41 PM – 3:41 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:33 PM – 2:13 AM | 3.7 | 22° | S → SW |
| August | 9:48 PM – 12:08 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:52 PM – 10:12 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:02 PM – 8:12 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.42 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ 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 52% average cloud cover) and December 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 | 68 | 76 | 78 | 89 | 91 | 98 | 103 | 100 | 98 | 95 | 78 | 72 |
| Low °F | -3 | -10 | -5 | 22 | 29 | 42 | 52 | 52 | 40 | 25 | 15 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 3.5 |
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
- 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.
- Expose for the brighter sky; reflections are typically half a stop to a stop darker.
- After sunset, long exposures smooth wind ripples into glass.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Culler Lake, closest first.
State Park
Covered Bridge
Waterfall
Mountain Pass
Mountain Pass
Mountain Pass
State Park
State Park
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Bald Eagle Island Hiker-Biker Campsite17.4 km (10.8 mi)
- Calico Rocks Hiker-Biker Overnight (Hbo) Campsite18.9 km (11.7 mi)
- Indian Flats Hiker-Biker Campsite21 km (13 mi)
- Camp Misty Mount25 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Camp Round Meadow25 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Culler Lake?
What time is golden hour at Culler Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Culler Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Culler Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Culler Lake?
How far is Culler Lake from Frederick?
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.