Brant Lake — a lake in Warren County, New York at about 243 m (797 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 25 km (15 mi) NNE of Warrensburg.
Brant Lake is located by Brant Lake, New York. Fish species present in the lake are largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, brown trout, yellow perch, chain pickerel, smelt, black crappie, rainbow trout, sunfish, and brown bullhead. There is a state owned hard surface ramp located 1 mile northeast of the hamlet of Brant Lake.From the Wikipedia article “Brant Lake (New York)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Brant 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) | 6:59 AM | 90° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:14 AM | 56° NE | 8:41 PM | 305° NW | 70° | 15h 27m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:43 AM | 89° E | 6:54 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:26 AM | 123° ESE | 4:21 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 | 6:54 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:11 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 17m |
| February | 6:25 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 6:39 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:23 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:43 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 25m |
| May | 4:57 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 43m |
| June | 4:37 AM | 5:13 AM | 5:57 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:15 PM | 15h 26m |
| July | 4:53 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:10 PM | 15h 08m |
| August | 5:29 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 00m |
| September | 6:06 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:13 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:41 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:42 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:33 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 41m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:09 AM | 3:32 PM | 4:19 PM | 4:52 PM | 8h 57m |
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 Brant 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 | 4:47 AM – 5:27 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:43 AM – 4:23 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:47 AM – 3:17 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:02 PM – 2:42 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:49 PM – 1:29 AM | 2.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:52 PM – 11:22 PM | 1.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:46 PM – 9:26 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 ≈ 21.68 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 52% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (76%). 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 | 68 | 75 | 82 | 86 | 94 | 97 | 92 | 90 | 78 | 69 | 65 |
| Low °F | -32 | -24 | -19 | 5 | 26 | 32 | 44 | 44 | 33 | 20 | -2 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 4.9 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 3.2 | 3.7 |
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 Brant Lake, closest first.
Lake
Natural Arch
Lake
Lighthouse
WaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Brant Lake?
What time is golden hour at Brant Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Brant Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Brant Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Brant Lake?
How far is Brant Lake from Warrensburg?
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.