Keuka Lake — a lake in Steuben County, New York at about 217 m (712 ft) above sea level — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Sylvan Beach, about 4.7 km (2.9 mi) away (Keuka Lake lies NW of town).
Keuka Lake ( KEW-kə) is a Finger Lake in central New York state. Spanning Steuben and Yates counties, it is the third largest in the eleven-lake chain. It is unusual for its Y-shape, which contrasts with the other long and narrow Finger Lakes, earning it the historic name Crooked Lake. Keuka means 'canoe landing' or 'lake with an elbow' in the Seneca language. The first white settlers to the lake region came after the Sullivan Expedition during the American Revolutionary War. In 1833 the Crooked Lake Canal was completed, connecting Keuka Lake with Seneca Lake, connecting with the Erie Canal. Beginning in the first half of the 19th century many steamboats operated on the lake which largely functioned as transports between Penn Yan and Hammondsport, often in service of the wine industry. In 1872 the Bath & Hammondsport Railroad, connecting to the Erie Railroad, went into operation,...From the Wikipedia article “Keuka Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Keuka 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 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) | 7:13 AM | 90° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:32 AM | 57° ENE | 8:50 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 18m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:36 AM | 122° ESE | 4:39 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 03m |
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 | 7:05 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:20 AM | 4:17 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 25m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 34m |
| March | 6:54 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:20 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 5:15 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 36m |
| June | 4:57 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:14 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:23 PM | 15h 17m |
| July | 5:12 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:27 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:19 PM | 15h 00m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:42 PM | 13h 56m |
| September | 6:21 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:56 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:30 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 47m |
| December | 7:00 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:18 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 05m |
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 Keuka 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 | 4:50 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:42 AM – 4:42 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 12:53 AM – 3:43 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:04 PM – 3:14 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:53 PM – 1:53 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:00 PM – 11:50 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:57 PM – 9:47 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 ≈ 21.6 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 (83%). 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 | 60 | 64 | 75 | 82 | 88 | 93 | 97 | 97 | 94 | 86 | 74 | 66 |
| Low °F | -10 | -13 | -7 | 12 | 24 | 35 | 45 | 45 | 35 | 23 | -1 | -4 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.9 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 2.4 | 2.6 |
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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Keuka Lake, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
State Park
LakeScenic Viewpoint
WaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Backbone Horse Campground28 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Blueberry Patch Campground28 km (18 mi)
- Blueberry Patch Campground28 km (18 mi) · reservable
- Potomac Group Campground29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Keuka Lake?
What time is golden hour at Keuka Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Keuka Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Keuka Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Keuka Lake?
How far is Keuka Lake from Sylvan Beach?
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.