Squam Lake is a lake in Belknap County, New Hampshire at about 171 m (561 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 5.2 km (3.2 mi) ENE of Holderness.
Squam Lake is a lake located in the Lakes Region of central New Hampshire, United States, south of the White Mountains, straddling the borders of Grafton, Carroll, and Belknap counties. The largest town center on the lake is Holderness. The lake is located northwest of much larger Lake Winnipesaukee. It drains via a short natural channel into Little Squam Lake, and then through a dam at the head of the short Squam River into the Pemigewasset at Ashland. Covering 6,791 acres (27.48 km2), Squam is the second-largest lake located entirely in New Hampshire. Squam Lake was originally called Keeseenunknipee, which meant "the goose lake in the highlands". The white settlers that followed shortened the name to "Casumpa", "Kusumpy" and/or "Kesumpe" around 1779. In the early 19th century, the lake was given another Abenaki name, Asquam, which means "water". Finally, in the early 20th century,...From the Wikipedia article “Squam Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Squam 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) | 6:50 AM | 90° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:05 AM | 56° NE | 8:32 PM | 305° NW | 70° | 15h 27m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:34 AM | 89° E | 6:45 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:18 AM | 123° ESE | 4:12 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 | 6:46 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 17m |
| February | 6:16 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:46 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 6:31 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:21 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:34 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:43 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:59 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 4:49 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 43m |
| June | 4:28 AM | 5:04 AM | 5:48 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:06 PM | 15h 26m |
| July | 4:44 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:01 PM | 15h 08m |
| August | 5:20 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:23 PM | 14h 01m |
| September | 5:57 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:04 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:27 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:32 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:33 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:10 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:24 AM | 3:39 PM | 4:22 PM | 4:53 PM | 9h 41m |
| December | 6:41 AM | 7:14 AM | 8:01 AM | 3:23 PM | 4:10 PM | 4:43 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 Squam 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 | 4:38 AM – 5:18 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:34 AM – 4:14 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:38 AM – 3:08 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:53 PM – 2:33 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:40 PM – 1:20 AM | 2.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:43 PM – 11:13 PM | 1.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:37 PM – 9:17 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 ≈ 21.28 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
- 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.
- 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 Squam Lake, closest first.
Lake
Waterfall
LakeWaterfallWaterfall
Covered Bridge
Mountain Peak
State Park
Mountain PeakCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Campton Campground16.4 km (10.2 mi) · reservable
- Waterville Campground22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Osceola Vista Campground25 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Squam Lake?
What time is golden hour at Squam Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Squam Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Squam Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Squam Lake?
How far is Squam Lake from Holderness?
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.