Lake Oscawana is a lake in Putnam County, New York at about 155 m (509 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Shrub Oak, about 8.0 km (5.0 mi) away (Lake Oscawana lies NNW of town).
Lake Oscawana is a body of water located in Putnam Valley, New York, United States. The 386-acre (1.6 km2) lake has a depth that ranges from 25 to 30 feet (7.6 to 9.1 m) at its deepest. The lake is fed by a stream from its north end and it drains out into Oscawana Creek at the middle of its southeastern shore. It is located between two hill ranges. Oscawana Creek merges into Peekskill Hollow Creek near the intersection of Peekskill Hollow Road and Oscawana Lake Road in Putnam Valley the hamlet of Lake Peekskill. The lake has a number of houses around its edges, several rock formations in the center of the lake, and small islands accessible by kayak or canoe. Lake Oscawana provides summer recreation, and some local residents use the lake for boating, swimming, and fishing from the lake's several private beaches.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Oscawana”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Oscawana 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) | 5:23 AM | 57° ENE | 8:33 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 10m |
| 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 | 4:30 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 11m |
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 | 6:26 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:54 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 5:06 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 30m |
| June | 4:48 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:05 PM | 15h 09m |
| July | 5:03 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:28 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 51m |
| 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 53m |
| 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 Lake Oscawana, 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 6 (bright 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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.4 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Oscawana, closest first.
State Park
Waterfall
Lake
LighthouseWaterfall
Mountain Peak
State Park
State Park
Mountain PeakFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Oscawana?
What time is golden hour at Lake Oscawana?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Oscawana?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Oscawana?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Oscawana?
How far is Lake Oscawana from Shrub Oak?
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.