Christine Lake — a lake in Coos County, New Hampshire at about 367 m (1,204 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Groveton, about 9.0 km (5.6 mi) away (Christine Lake lies ENE of town).
Christine Lake is a 197-acre (0.8 km2) water body located in Coos County in northern New Hampshire, United States, in the town of Stark. The lake lies southeast of the Percy Peaks and north of the Upper Ammonoosuc River. The lake is fed by spring brooks on the upper end, and the water from Christine Lake flows via the Upper Ammonoosuc to the Connecticut River at Groveton and thence south to Long Island Sound. The lake is classified as a coldwater fishery, with observed species including brook trout, brown trout, and smallmouth bass. Along with Dublin Pond, the lake was one of only two locations where the now extinct silver trout could be found.From the Wikipedia article “Christine Lake (New Hampshire)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Christine Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:50 AM | 90° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:01 AM | 55° NE | 8:35 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 34m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:33 AM | 89° E | 6:45 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 123° ESE | 4:09 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 49m |
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 | 6:47 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:06 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:04 PM | 9h 12m |
| February | 6:17 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:44 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 6:30 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:21 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:32 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:41 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:30 PM | 8:01 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 4:45 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 48m |
| June | 4:24 AM | 5:01 AM | 5:45 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:10 PM | 15h 33m |
| July | 4:40 AM | 5:15 AM | 5:59 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:05 PM | 15h 14m |
| August | 5:17 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:25 PM | 14h 04m |
| September | 5:56 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:04 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:28 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:32 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:23 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:32 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 6:12 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:27 AM | 3:35 PM | 4:19 PM | 4:51 PM | 9h 36m |
| December | 6:43 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:05 AM | 3:19 PM | 4:07 PM | 4:40 PM | 8h 50m |
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 Christine Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 4:50 AM – 5:20 AM | 0.5 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:48 AM – 4:08 AM | 1.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:45 AM – 3:05 AM | 2.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:04 PM – 2:24 AM | 3.3 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:49 PM – 1:09 AM | 2.3 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:48 PM – 11:08 PM | 1.3 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:39 PM – 9:09 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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 ≈ 21.77 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 56% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (78%). 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 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 75 | 83 | 87 | 89 | 92 | 83 | 76 | 65 | 55 |
| Low °F | -27 | -32 | -21 | 7 | 24 | 33 | 43 | 41 | 28 | 20 | -4 | -22 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 5.3 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 3.6 | 5.0 | 3.7 | 3.9 |
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 Christine Lake, closest first.
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Mountain Peak
State Park
State Park
Covered Bridge
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Christine Lake?
What time is golden hour at Christine Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Christine Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Christine Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Christine Lake?
How far is Christine Lake from Groveton?
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.