Lake Moultrie — a lake in Berkeley County, South Carolina — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Bonneau Beach, about 5.4 km (3.4 mi) away (Lake Moultrie lies WSW of town).
Lake Moultrie is a large man-made lake in South Carolina. Created in the 1940s by a state utility project to provide electricity to rural SC by damming the Santee River, it covers more than 60,000 acres (240 km2). The third largest lake in the state, it provides a wide variety of recreational opportunities, including fishing.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Moultrie”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Moultrie the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:25 AM | 90° E | 7:32 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:12 AM | 61° ENE | 8:33 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 21m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:09 AM | 89° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:21 AM | 118° ESE | 5:17 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 57m |
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 | 6:58 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 11m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:31 PM | 11h 00m |
| March | 7:07 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:53 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:25 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 00m |
| May | 5:54 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 53m |
| June | 5:42 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 21m |
| July | 5:54 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:31 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 09m |
| August | 6:17 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 24m |
| September | 6:40 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 7:00 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:13 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:46 PM | 10h 27m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:43 PM | 9h 58m |
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 Moultrie, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 28° 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 | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:59 AM – 5:39 AM | 0.7 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:01 AM – 6:01 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:57 AM – 5:17 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 12:09 AM – 4:39 AM | 4.5 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:14 PM – 4:24 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:10 PM – 3:00 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:37 PM – 12:57 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 8:52 PM – 10:52 PM | 2.0 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:10 PM – 9:00 PM | 0.8 | 17° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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 ≈ 21.42 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show November as the clearest month (about 43% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (56%). 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 | 81 | 81 | 85 | 95 | 103 | 106 | 106 | 107 | 101 | 101 | 86 | 81 |
| Low °F | 13 | 20 | 22 | 29 | 44 | 55 | 61 | 58 | 49 | 31 | 21 | 12 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 5.1 | 5.3 | 5.1 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 2.9 | 3.7 |
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 Moultrie?
What time is golden hour at Lake Moultrie?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Moultrie?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Moultrie?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Moultrie?
How far is Lake Moultrie from Bonneau Beach?
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.