Long Pond is a lake in Plymouth County, Massachusetts. It sits roughly 6.4 km (4.0 mi) S of North Lakeville.
Long Pond is a 1,721-acre (7.0 km2) lake within the towns of Lakeville and Freetown, in southeastern Massachusetts. It shares its waters with Assawompset Pond. These lakes provide a source of drinking water to the city of New Bedford, the largest city in southeastern Massachusetts. Long Pond is roughly one mile (1.6 km) wide by four miles (6.4 km) miles long, and contains three islands within its boundaries. In 1894 Assawompset Pond was dammed, increasing the water depth of Long Pond (which is connected by a small river) by about five feet (1.5 m). This created Nelson Island and caused Sunken Island to disappear due to erosion. All that remains of Sunken Island are the rocks in a shallow area just to the northwest of Lewis Island. Lewis Island is the largest of the three remaining islands today, containing sixteen privately owned cottages, while the second largest island, Nelson...From the Wikipedia article “Long Pond (Lakeville, Massachusetts)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Long 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 | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:09 AM | 122° ESE | 4:17 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 29m |
| February | 6:12 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:19 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:46 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 6:29 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:34 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 32m |
| 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 | 5:23 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 55m |
| 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 | 6:19 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 | 4:25 PM | 4:55 PM | 9h 51m |
| December | 6:33 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:50 AM | 3:30 PM | 4:15 PM | 4:46 PM | 9h 10m |
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 Long 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 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 | — | -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: 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 ≈ 19.68 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 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
- 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 Long Pond, closest first.
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LakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Long Pond?
What time is golden hour at Long Pond?
Where does the sun rise and set at Long Pond?
Can you see the Milky Way from Long Pond?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Long Pond?
How far is Long 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.