Pomme de Terre Lake — a lake in Hickory County, Missouri — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Humansville, about 24 km (15 mi) away (Pomme de Terre Lake lies ENE of town).
Pomme de Terre Lake (pronounced PUM də TAR) is a reservoir in Hickory and Polk counties in Missouri, United States, at the confluence of Lindley Creek and the Pomme de Terre River (for which it is named).From the Wikipedia article “Pomme de Terre Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Pomme de Terre Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:18 AM | 90° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:52 AM | 59° ENE | 8:40 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 47m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:02 AM | 89° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:26 AM | 120° ESE | 4:58 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 32m |
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 | 7:00 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:47 PM | 9h 50m |
| February | 6:37 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 48m |
| March | 6:59 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:47 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:12 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:35 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 13m |
| June | 5:20 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 46m |
| July | 5:33 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 32m |
| August | 6:01 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 38m |
| September | 6:30 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:56 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:04 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:27 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:31 PM | 10h 09m |
| December | 6:53 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:25 PM | 9h 33m |
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 Pomme de Terre Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:11 AM – 5:31 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:18 AM – 5:48 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:22 AM – 5:02 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:21 AM – 4:11 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:32 PM – 3:52 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:25 PM – 2:25 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:45 PM – 12:25 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:51 PM – 10:21 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:04 PM – 8:24 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.76 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ 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 42% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 72 | 76 | 82 | 94 | 89 | 104 | 108 | 113 | 103 | 90 | 81 | 71 |
| Low °F | -14 | -10 | 2 | 20 | 31 | 48 | 53 | 50 | 40 | 18 | 8 | -7 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.3 | 2.6 | 3.8 | 5.1 | 6.2 | 5.0 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 2.5 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Pomme de Terre Lake, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Nemo Landing4.4 km (2.7 mi) · reservable
- Outlet Park4.5 km (2.8 mi) · reservable
- Wheatland Park4.7 km (2.9 mi) · reservable
- Damsite4.9 km (3.1 mi) · reservable
- Lightfoot Landing5.2 km (3.2 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Pomme de Terre Lake?
What time is golden hour at Pomme de Terre Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Pomme de Terre Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Pomme de Terre Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Pomme de Terre Lake?
How far is Pomme de Terre Lake from Humansville?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.