Located in Mercer County, New Jersey, Lake Carnegie is a lake. The nearest town is Princeton, about 2.0 km (1.2 mi) away (Lake Carnegie lies ESE of town).
Lake Carnegie is a reservoir that straddles the borders of the towns of Princeton, West Windsor, Plainsboro and South Brunswick in Mercer and Middlesex counties in central New Jersey. The lake was created by construction of a dam along the Millstone River, though the lower portion of the lake actually follows the valley of its largest tributary, the Stony Brook. The Delaware and Raritan Canal and its associated tow path are situated along the eastern shore of the lake. Noted businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie donated money for the construction of the lake, which was donated to Princeton University. In 1990, the Lake Carnegie Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Carnegie (New Jersey)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Carnegie the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:03 AM | 90° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:30 AM | 58° ENE | 8:33 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 03m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:47 AM | 89° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:19 AM | 121° ESE | 4:36 PM | 240° WSW | 26° | 9h 17m |
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 | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 37m |
| February | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 41m |
| March | 6:44 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 5:13 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 25m |
| June | 4:56 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:04 PM | 15h 02m |
| July | 5:10 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 46m |
| August | 5:41 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 47m |
| September | 6:13 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:16 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:37 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:42 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:48 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 58m |
| December | 6:44 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:58 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 19m |
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 Lake Carnegie, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:16 AM – 5:16 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:27 AM – 5:37 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:25 AM – 4:35 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:20 AM – 3:50 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:35 PM – 3:25 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:27 PM – 1:57 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:40 PM – 12:00 AM | 2.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:42 PM – 9:52 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:51 PM – 8:01 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.61 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ 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 51% average cloud cover) and December 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 | 67 | 71 | 73 | 91 | 88 | 96 | 102 | 101 | 96 | 92 | 75 | 71 |
| Low °F | -2 | -3 | 0 | 24 | 33 | 44 | 52 | 53 | 43 | 28 | 14 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 3.6 | 4.4 |
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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Lake Carnegie, closest first.
State Park
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
State Park
Mountain Peak
Botanical Garden
State Park
Waterfall
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Carnegie?
What time is golden hour at Lake Carnegie?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Carnegie?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Carnegie?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Carnegie?
How far is Lake Carnegie from Princeton?
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.