Located in Providence County, Rhode Island, Wallum Lake is a lake at about 178 m (584 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 5.6 km (3.5 mi) SSW of Douglas.
Wallum Lake is a 322-acre (1.30 km2) lake that lies in Burrillville, Providence County, Rhode Island and Douglas, Worcester County, Massachusetts. It is adjacent to Douglas State Forest and Wallum Lake Park. There are two paved boat ramps: one at the north end off Wallum Lake Road, Douglas, Massachusetts, the second at the southern extreme in Burrillville, Rhode Island. A study reported ten species of fish, based upon a 1994 summer sampling. Largemouth bass, yellow perch and bluegills are common. Additional species present included pumpkinseed, chain pickerel, landlocked alewife, brood salmon and eels. Licenses from either state are valid, but Rhode Island regulations apply. Wallum Lake has been stocked with rainbow trout and brown trout. Rainbow trout are stocked on a put-and-take basis, and the state of Rhode Island has stocked numerous landlocked salmon and occasionally broodstock salmon.From the Wikipedia article “Wallum Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Wallum Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:51 AM | 90° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:12 AM | 57° ENE | 8:27 PM | 303° WNW | 71° | 15h 15m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:35 AM | 89° E | 6:46 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:13 AM | 122° ESE | 4:19 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 07m |
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 | 6:43 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:57 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 27m |
| February | 6:15 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 6:32 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:22 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:38 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:45 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:57 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 4:56 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 34m |
| June | 4:37 AM | 5:12 AM | 5:54 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:59 PM | 15h 13m |
| July | 4:52 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:07 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 57m |
| August | 5:26 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 54m |
| September | 6:00 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:05 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:27 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:32 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:29 PM | 6:07 PM | 6:35 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:08 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:19 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:27 PM | 4:57 PM | 9h 50m |
| December | 6:37 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:54 AM | 3:32 PM | 4:17 PM | 4:49 PM | 9h 08m |
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 Wallum Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° 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 | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:27 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:19 AM – 4:19 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:28 AM – 3:28 AM | 3.0 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:37 PM – 2:57 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:27 PM – 1:37 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 9:36 PM – 11:36 PM | 2.0 | 18° | S → SW |
| September | 8:34 PM – 9:34 PM | 1.0 | 15° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 19.67 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 51% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 65 | 75 | 86 | 89 | 93 | 98 | 100 | 97 | 86 | 72 | 67 |
| Low °F | -12 | -15 | -3 | 18 | 31 | 40 | 50 | 50 | 41 | 22 | 10 | -4 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 4.8 | 3.9 | 4.4 |
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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Wallum Lake, closest first.
State Park
Lake
Waterfall
State Park
State Park
Mountain PeakWaterfall
State Park
Covered BridgeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- West Thompson Lake Campground12.3 km (7.6 mi) · reservable
- Buffumville Lake (Group Shelter)17.1 km (10.6 mi) · reservable
- West Hill Park17.8 km (11.1 mi) · reservable
- Westville Recreation Area25 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Wallum Lake?
What time is golden hour at Wallum Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Wallum Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Wallum Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Wallum Lake?
How far is Wallum Lake from Douglas?
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.