Chautauqua Lake — a lake in Chautauqua County, New York at about 399 m (1,309 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 7.7 km (4.8 mi) NW of Lakewood.
Chautauqua Lake (Seneca: Dza’dáhgwëh) is located entirely within Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The lake is approximately 17 miles (27 km) long and two miles (3.2 km) wide at its greatest width. The surface area is approximately 13,000 acres (5,300 ha). The maximum depth is about 78 feet (24 m). The shoreline is about 41.1 miles (66 km) of which all but 2.6 mi (4 km) are privately owned. The lake's name comes from the now-extinct Erie language. Because the Erie people were defeated in the Beaver Wars before a comprehensive study of their language could be made, its meaning remains unknown and a source of speculation, with two longstanding folk translations being "bag tied in the middle" and "place where fish are taken out," the latter having some support based on similar words in other Iroquoian languages. A Seneca legend, dating at least to the days of Seneca diplomat...From the Wikipedia article “Chautauqua Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Chautauqua Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (WNW) in June to 239° (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) | 7:22 AM | 90° E | 7:30 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:42 AM | 57° ENE | 8:58 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 16m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:06 AM | 89° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:44 AM | 122° ESE | 4:49 PM | 239° WSW | 24° | 9h 06m |
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 | 7:13 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:28 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 27m |
| February | 6:46 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 7:03 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:52 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:09 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 5:26 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 34m |
| June | 5:07 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:24 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:31 PM | 15h 14m |
| July | 5:22 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:37 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:26 PM | 14h 58m |
| August | 5:56 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:50 PM | 13h 54m |
| September | 6:30 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:02 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:09 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:06 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:39 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 49m |
| December | 7:08 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:25 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 07m |
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 Chautauqua Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:58 AM – 5:48 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:51 AM – 4:51 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 1:00 AM – 3:50 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:10 PM – 3:20 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:00 PM – 2:00 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:08 PM – 11:58 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:05 PM – 9:55 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.27 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 64% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (86%). July is the warmest month and February 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 | 55 | 57 | 71 | 71 | 82 | 89 | 90 | 89 | 87 | 82 | 68 | 59 |
| Low °F | -3 | -9 | -3 | 18 | 31 | 38 | 46 | 53 | 42 | 29 | 19 | 8 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 3.1 | 3.2 |
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
- 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 Chautauqua Lake, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Chautauqua Lake?
What time is golden hour at Chautauqua Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Chautauqua Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Chautauqua Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Chautauqua Lake?
How far is Chautauqua Lake from Lakewood?
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.