Lake Colby is a lake in Franklin County, New York at about 474 m (1,555 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Saranac Lake, about 2.2 km (1.4 mi) away (Lake Colby lies NW of town).
Lake Colby is a 272-acre (1.10 km2) lake, located on NY-86 just outside the village of Saranac Lake, in Franklin County, New York in the Adirondacks; its outlet feeds into Lower Saranac Lake. Lake Colby is also the name of a hamlet located just north of the lake on NY-86. The village beach of Saranac Lake is on Lake Colby, and New York State operates a boat launch and fishing access; there is a ten horsepower limit for motorboats. Harrietstown operates Latour Park on its shore, providing picnicking and shore fishing. Less than 8% of its 3.7 miles (6.0 km) of shoreline is privately owned. There are two approved campsites on the lake. Camp Colby, the Lake Colby Environmental Education Camp for 11- to 13-year-olds, is located on the western shore. Originally a private estate built by theatrical agent William Morris, whose clients were invited there for rest and relaxation, it was then...From the Wikipedia article “Lake Colby”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Colby the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:01 AM | 90° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:13 AM | 55° NE | 8:45 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 32m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:44 AM | 89° E | 6:56 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:30 AM | 123° ESE | 4:21 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 51m |
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 | 6:58 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:16 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 13m |
| February | 6:28 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 28m |
| March | 6:41 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:48 AM | 6:24 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:32 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:43 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 4:57 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 47m |
| June | 4:36 AM | 5:13 AM | 5:57 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:20 PM | 15h 30m |
| July | 4:52 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:15 PM | 15h 12m |
| August | 5:29 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 03m |
| September | 6:07 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:15 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:38 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:43 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:22 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:37 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 38m |
| December | 6:53 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:14 AM | 3:31 PM | 4:19 PM | 4:52 PM | 8h 52m |
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 Lake Colby, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 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 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 | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:50 AM – 5:30 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:47 AM – 4:17 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:53 AM – 3:23 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:10 PM – 2:40 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:55 PM – 1:25 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:56 PM – 11:26 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:49 PM – 9:19 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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 ≈ 20.39 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 | 57 | 62 | 74 | 79 | 85 | 85 | 88 | 86 | 88 | 78 | 69 | 62 |
| Low °F | -27 | -27 | -20 | 6 | 24 | 33 | 41 | 42 | 28 | 21 | -9 | -23 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 4.9 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 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.
- 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 Lake Colby, closest first.
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Mountain Peak
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LakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Colby?
What time is golden hour at Lake Colby?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Colby?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Colby?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Colby?
How far is Lake Colby from Saranac Lake?
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.