Cherokee Lake — a lake in Grainger County, Tennessee — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Rutledge, about 10.3 km (6.4 mi) away (Cherokee Lake lies SE of town).
Cherokee Lake, also known as Cherokee Reservoir, is an artificial reservoir in the U.S. state of Tennessee formed by the impoundment of the Holston River behind Cherokee Dam.From the Wikipedia article “Cherokee Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cherokee Lake the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:38 AM | 90° E | 7:46 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:18 AM | 60° ENE | 8:55 PM | 300° WNW | 77° | 14h 38m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:22 AM | 89° E | 7:32 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:42 AM | 119° ESE | 5:23 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 41m |
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 | 7:17 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:23 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:11 PM | 9h 58m |
| February | 6:56 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:15 PM | 6:42 PM | 10h 53m |
| March | 7:20 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:20 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:07 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:35 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 6:00 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 05m |
| June | 5:46 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:55 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:24 PM | 14h 37m |
| July | 5:59 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:06 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 23m |
| August | 6:25 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:28 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 33m |
| September | 6:51 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:51 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:09 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:15 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:16 AM | 6:24 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:54 PM | 10h 16m |
| December | 7:10 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 43m |
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 Cherokee Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:22 AM – 5:52 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:37 AM – 6:17 AM | 1.7 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:29 AM – 5:29 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:35 AM – 4:45 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:44 PM – 4:24 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:39 PM – 2:59 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:01 PM – 12:51 AM | 2.8 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 9:10 PM – 10:50 PM | 1.7 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:25 PM – 8:55 PM | 0.5 | 15° | 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.19 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 49% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 70 | 74 | 82 | 82 | 93 | 105 | 104 | 102 | 99 | 96 | 84 | 73 |
| Low °F | -1 | 0 | 6 | 21 | 31 | 43 | 52 | 50 | 38 | 25 | 14 | 8 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.8 | 5.0 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 5.4 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 4.5 |
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.
- 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 Cherokee Lake, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cherokee Lake?
What time is golden hour at Cherokee Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cherokee Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cherokee Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cherokee Lake?
How far is Cherokee Lake from Rutledge?
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.