Skatutakee Lake is a lake in Cheshire County, New Hampshire at about 366 m (1,201 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Harrisville, about 2.0 km (1.2 mi) away (Skatutakee Lake lies ESE of town).
Skatutakee Lake is a 236-acre (0.96 km2) water body located in Cheshire County in southwestern New Hampshire, United States, in the town of Harrisville. Water from Skatutakee Lake flows via Nubanusit Brook to the Contoocook River in Peterborough and ultimately to the Merrimack River. The lake is classified as a warmwater fishery, with observed species including smallmouth and largemouth bass, chain pickerel, horned pout, northern pike, and black crappie.From the Wikipedia article “Skatutakee Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Skatutakee Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:53 AM | 90° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:10 AM | 56° ENE | 8:31 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 21m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:36 AM | 89° E | 6:48 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 122° ESE | 4:17 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 00m |
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 | 6:46 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:02 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 22m |
| February | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:38 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:45 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:31 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 4:54 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:07 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 39m |
| June | 4:34 AM | 5:10 AM | 5:53 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:05 PM | 15h 20m |
| July | 4:49 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:06 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:26 PM | 9:00 PM | 15h 03m |
| August | 5:24 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 57m |
| September | 6:00 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:23 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:29 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:34 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:29 PM | 6:07 PM | 6:36 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:11 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:24 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:26 PM | 4:57 PM | 9h 45m |
| December | 6:41 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:59 AM | 3:29 PM | 4:15 PM | 4:48 PM | 9h 02m |
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 Skatutakee Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), 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 | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:29 AM – 5:19 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:33 AM – 4:13 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:35 AM – 3:15 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:47 PM – 2:47 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:36 PM – 1:26 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:41 PM – 11:21 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:37 PM – 9:27 PM | 0.8 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.83 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 | 63 | 67 | 74 | 87 | 87 | 90 | 97 | 99 | 96 | 85 | 72 | 67 |
| Low °F | -22 | -19 | -13 | 12 | 27 | 36 | 48 | 47 | 36 | 18 | 2 | -13 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 4.8 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 3.5 | 4.2 |
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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Skatutakee Lake, closest first.
Lake
Lake
Mountain PeakState Park
Lake
Covered Bridge
Waterfall
State Park
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Edward Macdowell Lake Day Use Facilities8.8 km (5.5 mi) · reservable
- Otter Brook Lake Recreation Area12.9 km (8.0 mi) · reservable
- Surry Mountain Lake Campground21 km (13 mi)
- Surry Mountain Lake Beach21 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Skatutakee Lake?
What time is golden hour at Skatutakee Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Skatutakee Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Skatutakee Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Skatutakee Lake?
How far is Skatutakee Lake from Harrisville?
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.