Cayuga Lake — a lake in Cayuga County, New York — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 16.5 km (10.3 mi) N of Trumansburg.
Cayuga Lake ( kə-YOO-ghə, kay-YOO-ghə, or kye-YOO-ghə) is a Finger Lake in central New York state. Spanning three counties - Cayuga, Seneca, and Tompkins - it is the longest, second largest (in surface area, marginally smaller than Seneca), and second largest in volume. It is just under 39 miles (63 km) long, with an average width of 1.7 miles (2.8 km), and is 3.5 mi wide (5.6 km) at its widest point, near Aurora. It is approximately 435 ft deep (133 m) at its deepest point, and has over 95 miles (153 km) of shoreline.From the Wikipedia article “Cayuga Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cayuga 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 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:30 AM | 56° ENE | 8:49 PM | 304° NW | 71° | 15h 19m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:35 AM | 122° ESE | 4:37 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 02m |
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 | 7:04 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:19 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 23m |
| February | 6:36 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 34m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:18 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 5:13 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 37m |
| June | 4:54 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:12 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:22 PM | 15h 18m |
| July | 5:09 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:25 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:18 PM | 15h 01m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 56m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:47 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:29 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:41 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 46m |
| December | 6:59 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:17 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 04m |
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 Cayuga 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 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 | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:48 AM – 5:38 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:51 AM – 4:41 AM | 1.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:52 AM – 3:42 AM | 2.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:04 PM – 3:04 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:53 PM – 1:43 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:59 PM – 11:49 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:55 PM – 9:45 PM | 0.8 | 15° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.49 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 55% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (82%). 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 | 61 | 65 | 73 | 84 | 93 | 94 | 101 | 95 | 93 | 86 | 72 | 66 |
| Low °F | -12 | -18 | -7 | 12 | 25 | 35 | 46 | 46 | 33 | 23 | -7 | -2 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.4 | 2.6 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 3.0 | 3.1 |
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
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Cayuga Lake, closest first.
Waterfall
State ParkWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
State Park
Lake
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Potomac Group Campground23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Blueberry Patch Campground24 km (15 mi)
- Backbone Horse Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Blueberry Patch Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cayuga Lake?
What time is golden hour at Cayuga Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cayuga Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cayuga Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cayuga Lake?
How far is Cayuga Lake from Trumansburg?
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.