Ossipee Lake — a lake in Carroll County, New Hampshire at about 125 m (410 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 8.7 km (5.4 mi) WSW of Freedom.
Ossipee Lake is located in Carroll County in eastern New Hampshire, in the communities of Ossipee and Freedom. At 3,257 acres (1,318 ha), it is the sixth-largest lake located entirely in New Hampshire. The lake is fed by the West Branch (entering from the north), the Bearcamp and Lovell rivers (entering from the west), and the Pine River (from the south). Water leaves the eastern end of the lake via the Ossipee River, flowing to the Saco River in Maine. Ossipee Lake is a popular vacation site. The land surrounding the lake is home to numerous condo, cabin, and lake house developments. As in most lakes regions, some buildings are available for vacation rentals, and many of the developments have private beaches. The lake is classified as a cold- and warmwater fishery, with observed species including rainbow trout, lake trout, land-locked salmon, smallmouth and largemouth bass, chain...From the Wikipedia article “Ossipee Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Ossipee Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:49 AM | 90° E | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:03 AM | 56° NE | 8:31 PM | 305° NW | 70° | 15h 28m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:32 AM | 89° E | 6:44 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:16 AM | 123° ESE | 4:11 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 55m |
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 | 6:44 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:01 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 17m |
| February | 6:15 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:25 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:44 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 6:29 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:32 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:41 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:58 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 4:47 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 43m |
| June | 4:27 AM | 5:03 AM | 5:47 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:05 PM | 15h 26m |
| July | 4:42 AM | 5:17 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:25 PM | 9:00 PM | 15h 08m |
| August | 5:18 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:22 PM | 14h 01m |
| September | 5:56 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:02 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:26 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:30 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:24 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:32 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:09 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:23 AM | 3:37 PM | 4:20 PM | 4:51 PM | 9h 41m |
| December | 6:40 AM | 7:12 AM | 8:00 AM | 3:22 PM | 4:09 PM | 4:42 PM | 8h 56m |
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 Ossipee Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:37 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:33 AM – 4:13 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:37 AM – 3:07 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:52 PM – 2:32 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:39 PM – 1:19 AM | 2.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:42 PM – 11:12 PM | 1.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:36 PM – 9:16 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.33 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 51% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 59 | 65 | 74 | 82 | 84 | 94 | 105 | 94 | 93 | 79 | 70 | 62 |
| Low °F | -23 | -23 | -19 | 13 | 28 | 37 | 49 | 44 | 35 | 20 | -3 | -17 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 5.0 | 3.9 | 4.3 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Ossipee Lake, closest first.
Covered Bridge
Lake
Mountain Peak
Covered Bridge
Scenic Viewpoint
Covered Bridge
Mountain Peak
State Park
Covered BridgeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- White Ledge Campground19.1 km (11.9 mi) · reservable
- Covered Bridge25 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Russell-Colbath Barn28 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Radeke Cabin29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Ossipee Lake?
What time is golden hour at Ossipee Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Ossipee Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Ossipee Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Ossipee Lake?
How far is Ossipee Lake from Freedom?
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.