Located in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, Assawompset Pond is a lake. The nearest town is North Lakeville, about 2.7 km (1.7 mi) away (Assawompset Pond lies SE of town).
Assawompset Pond is a reservoir/pond within the towns of Lakeville and Middleboro, in southeastern Massachusetts. It shares its waters with Long Pond and is openly connected with Pocksha Pond. These lakes provide a source of drinking water to the city of New Bedford, the largest city in southeastern Massachusetts. At almost four square miles (10 km2), it is the largest natural lake in Massachusetts. It is known in Wampanoag as "Place of the White Stones" and is host for the largest alewife (herring) run in the eastern seaboard. In the early spring the Nemasket River runs black with fish heading for the spawning grounds. The area known as Betty's Neck was one of the summer encampments for Native Americans who would traverse the Taunton River and Nemasket River to enter the pond. The Nemasket, being known as "Where the fish are", explains the significance as a food source.From the Wikipedia article “Assawompset Pond”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Assawompset Pond the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:48 AM | 90° E | 6:56 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:10 AM | 57° ENE | 8:23 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 13m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:32 AM | 89° E | 6:43 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:09 AM | 122° ESE | 4:16 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 08m |
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 | 6:39 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:53 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 28m |
| February | 6:12 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:19 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:46 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 6:29 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:18 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:35 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:42 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:53 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 4:53 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 33m |
| June | 4:35 AM | 5:09 AM | 5:51 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:55 PM | 15h 12m |
| July | 4:49 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 56m |
| August | 5:23 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 53m |
| September | 5:57 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:01 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:23 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:28 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:32 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:04 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:15 AM | 3:43 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:54 PM | 9h 50m |
| December | 6:33 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:50 AM | 3:30 PM | 4:14 PM | 4:46 PM | 9h 09m |
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 Assawompset Pond, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 6 (bright 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:14 AM – 5:14 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:15 AM – 4:15 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:23 AM – 3:23 AM | 3.0 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:32 PM – 2:52 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:22 PM – 1:32 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 9:32 PM – 11:32 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:30 PM – 9:30 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| 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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.42 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 January as the cloudiest (69%). 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 | 56 | 54 | 62 | 72 | 76 | 87 | 89 | 86 | 81 | 76 | 67 | 63 |
| Low °F | 2 | 1 | 13 | 29 | 39 | 49 | 58 | 60 | 51 | 38 | 22 | 12 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.5 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.4 |
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
- 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.
- 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 Assawompset Pond, closest first.
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LakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Assawompset Pond?
What time is golden hour at Assawompset Pond?
Where does the sun rise and set at Assawompset Pond?
Can you see the Milky Way from Assawompset Pond?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Assawompset Pond?
How far is Assawompset Pond from North Lakeville?
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.