Located in Putnam County, New York, Canopus Lake is a lake at about 278 m (912 ft) above sea level. It is part of Clarence Fahnestock State Park. The nearest town is Merritt Park, about 9.1 km (5.7 mi) away (Canopus Lake lies SSE of town).
Canopus Lake is a small lake within Clarence Fahnestock State Park in northern Putnam County, New York, United States. The lake is about 2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi) long and 120 metres (390 ft) wide at its widest point and 66 acres (27 ha) in area. Immediately to its east is Pelton Pond. The lake is on NY 301 just west of the Taconic State Parkway. The beach at the lake is used for swimming, boating, and fishing. In the winter, some cross-country skiers use the flat surface as a trail. The Appalachian Trail parallels the west side of the lake.From the Wikipedia article “Canopus Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Canopus Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:00 AM | 90° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:22 AM | 57° ENE | 8:33 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 11m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:43 AM | 89° E | 6:54 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:19 AM | 121° ESE | 4:29 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 10m |
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 | 6:49 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 31m |
| February | 6:23 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 38m |
| March | 6:41 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:53 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 5:06 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 31m |
| June | 4:48 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:05 PM | 15h 10m |
| July | 5:02 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 53m |
| August | 5:35 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 52m |
| September | 6:09 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:13 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:34 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:40 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:26 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 52m |
| December | 6:44 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:00 AM | 3:43 PM | 4:27 PM | 4:59 PM | 9h 12m |
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 Canopus Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:24 AM – 5:24 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:25 AM – 4:25 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:23 AM – 3:33 AM | 3.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:41 PM – 3:11 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:31 PM – 1:41 AM | 3.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:42 PM – 11:42 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:41 PM – 9:41 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:48 PM – 7:48 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.6 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 50% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (65%). 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 | 66 | 70 | 73 | 91 | 87 | 95 | 101 | 102 | 96 | 88 | 76 | 69 |
| Low °F | -16 | -15 | -8 | 18 | 30 | 38 | 49 | 50 | 37 | 21 | 6 | -2 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 3.6 | 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drone rules in state parks vary by state and even by park — many require a permit or ban recreational drone flights. Check the park's rules and the FAA B4UFLY app before flying.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Canopus Lake, closest first.
State Park
Lake
Fire Lookout
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
State Park
Lighthouse
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Canopus Lake?
What time is golden hour at Canopus Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Canopus Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Canopus Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Canopus Lake?
How far is Canopus Lake from Merritt Park?
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.