Located in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, Conneaut Lake is a lake at about 326 m (1,070 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 700 m SE of Conneaut Lakeshore.
Conneaut Lake is the largest natural lake in Pennsylvania, United States, by surface area. It is located in western Crawford County near a town with the same name. It has a surface area of approximately 925 acres. The site of the lake is actually in adjacent Sadsbury Township and nearby Summit Township. During the summer season, it is heavily populated with people vacationing to the lake area, some from the area spending time in their houses on the lake, and many others from the surrounding area that like to spend the summer away from home, many of these people being residents of the Pittsburgh area. Other than the lake itself, the largest draw to the area has long been a popular resort known as Conneaut Lake Park, long known for its amusement park.From the Wikipedia article “Conneaut Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Conneaut Lake 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) | 7:26 AM | 90° E | 7:34 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:48 AM | 57° ENE | 9:00 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 12m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:09 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:45 AM | 121° ESE | 4:55 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 09m |
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 | 7:16 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:29 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:47 PM | 9h 30m |
| February | 6:49 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 7:06 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:11 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:56 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:13 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 5:31 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 31m |
| June | 5:13 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:29 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:32 PM | 15h 11m |
| July | 5:28 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:42 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:28 PM | 14h 54m |
| August | 6:01 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 52m |
| September | 6:34 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:06 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:11 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:42 PM | 7:09 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:41 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 51m |
| December | 7:10 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:26 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 11m |
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 Conneaut Lake, 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 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 | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:50 AM – 5:50 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:51 AM – 4:51 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:49 AM – 3:59 AM | 3.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 11:07 PM – 3:37 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:57 PM – 2:07 AM | 3.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 10:07 PM – 12:07 AM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 9:07 PM – 10:07 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:14 PM – 8:14 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.32 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 56% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (85%). 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 | 64 | 68 | 79 | 82 | 96 | 98 | 100 | 99 | 96 | 89 | 76 | 67 |
| Low °F | -11 | -12 | 0 | 17 | 25 | 38 | 46 | 46 | 38 | 27 | 7 | -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
- 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.
- Expose for the brighter sky; reflections are typically half a stop to a stop darker.
- After sunset, long exposures smooth wind ripples into glass.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Conneaut Lake, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Woodcock Creek Lake Park & Campground19.7 km (12.2 mi)
- Overlook Recreation Area19.7 km (12.3 mi) · reservable
- Woodcock Lake Park20.0 km (12.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Conneaut Lake?
What time is golden hour at Conneaut Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Conneaut Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Conneaut Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Conneaut Lake?
How far is Conneaut Lake from Conneaut Lakeshore?
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.