Lake Saint Francis — a lake in Franklin County, New York — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 23 km (14 mi) NNE of Fort Covington Hamlet.
Lake Saint Francis (French: lac Saint-François, pronounced [lak sɛ̃ fʁɑ̃swa]) is a lake which borders southeastern Ontario, southwestern Quebec and northern New York State. It is located on the Saint Lawrence River between Lake Ontario and Montreal, Quebec. The lake forms part of the Saint Lawrence Seaway. The city of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield is located at the east end of the lake. Lac Saint-François National Wildlife Area, located on the south shore of the lake, protects wetlands located on the shores of the lake. This area provides important habitat for Redhead ducks and other waterfowl. Thousands of migrating waterfowl stop over in this region. In 1987, it was recognized as a wetland of international significance under the Ramsar Convention. The Charlottenburgh Marsh, including Cooper Marsh, is an important wetland area located on the north shore of the lake.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Saint Francis (Canada)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Saint Francis the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:02 AM | 90° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:11 AM | 55° NE | 8:49 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 38m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:45 AM | 89° E | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:34 AM | 124° ESE | 4:19 PM | 237° WSW | 21° | 8h 45m |
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 | 7:01 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:20 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 08m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:41 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 26m |
| March | 6:42 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:50 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:43 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 30m |
| May | 4:55 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 52m |
| June | 4:33 AM | 5:10 AM | 5:56 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:25 PM | 15h 37m |
| July | 4:49 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:19 PM | 15h 18m |
| August | 5:28 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 07m |
| September | 6:07 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:16 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:40 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 6:44 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 00m |
| November | 6:24 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:41 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 33m |
| December | 6:56 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:19 AM | 3:28 PM | 4:17 PM | 4:51 PM | 8h 46m |
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 Saint Francis, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:02 AM – 5:22 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:01 AM – 4:21 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:00 AM – 3:10 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:22 PM – 2:32 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:05 PM – 1:15 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:02 PM – 11:12 PM | 1.2 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:51 PM – 9:11 PM | 0.3 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.91 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.0+ 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 54% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (76%). 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 | 47 | 50 | 74 | 79 | 88 | 89 | 97 | 93 | 92 | 80 | 69 | 63 |
| Low °F | -42 | -34 | -26 | 8 | 26 | 35 | 45 | 44 | 31 | 22 | -6 | -32 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 3.2 | 3.6 |
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
- 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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Saint Francis?
What time is golden hour at Lake Saint Francis?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Saint Francis?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Saint Francis?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Saint Francis?
How far is Lake Saint Francis from Fort Covington Hamlet?
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.