Portage Lakes — a lake in Summit County, Ohio at about 301 m (988 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers.
The Portage Lakes are a group of glacial kettle lakes and reservoirs in Northeast Ohio. The name comes from an old Indian portage path that connected the Cuyahoga River flowing north to Lake Erie and the Tuscarawas River, a tributary of the Muskingum River, which flows south to the Ohio River. This proved advantageous for the Indians and early settlers as navigation from Lake Erie to the Ohio was possible with only an eight-mile portage. Portage Lakes State Park lies at one of the highest points of the state and on a major watershed divide in Ohio. Some water from the lakes reaches Lake Erie and some flows to the Ohio River. There is an unincorporated community named Portage Lakes in Summit County, near 41°00′26″N 081°31′37″W Elevation: 1,053 feet (321 m), in the area. The area became an important trading post for settlers and Indians. It was a recognized landmark during the War of...From the Wikipedia article “Portage Lakes”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Portage Lakes the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (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 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:30 AM | 90° E | 7:38 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:55 AM | 58° ENE | 9:02 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 08m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:14 AM | 89° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:48 AM | 121° ESE | 5:02 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 13m |
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 | 7:19 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:32 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:53 PM | 9h 33m |
| February | 6:53 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:22 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:29 PM | 10h 39m |
| March | 7:11 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:00 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:19 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:38 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 28m |
| June | 5:21 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:36 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:34 PM | 15h 06m |
| July | 5:35 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:48 AM | 8:17 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:30 PM | 14h 51m |
| August | 6:07 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:56 PM | 13h 50m |
| September | 6:40 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:05 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:10 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:15 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:45 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 54m |
| December | 7:14 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:29 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 15m |
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 Portage Lakes, 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 7 (suburban / urban transition), 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:43 AM – 5:43 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:55 AM – 6:05 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:54 AM – 5:04 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:51 AM – 4:11 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 11:08 PM – 3:38 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:59 PM – 2:19 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 10:10 PM – 12:20 AM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 9:11 PM – 10:21 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:18 PM – 8:18 PM | 0.0 | 11° | 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.92 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 58% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (84%). 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 | 62 | 66 | 79 | 79 | 92 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 94 | 86 | 76 | 65 |
| Low °F | -10 | -11 | -1 | 18 | 27 | 40 | 49 | 47 | 40 | 29 | 13 | 1 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 2.9 | 2.9 |
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
- 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.
- 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 Portage Lakes, closest first.
State Park
Cave
State Park
State Park
Lake
Covered BridgeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Portage Lakes?
What time is golden hour at Portage Lakes?
Where does the sun rise and set at Portage Lakes?
Can you see the Milky Way from Portage Lakes?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Portage Lakes?
How far is Portage Lakes from Portage Lakes?
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.