Lake Bomoseen — a lake in Rutland County, Vermont at about 125 m (410 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 4.6 km (2.9 mi) NW of Castleton.
Lake Bomoseen ( BAH-muh-zeen) is a freshwater lake in the western part of the U.S. state of Vermont in the towns of Castleton and Hubbardton in Rutland County. It is the largest lake that lies entirely within the state's boundaries, with a surface area of approximately 2,400 acres (9.6 km2). The lake was formed by glaciation and has an average and maximum depth of 27 feet (8.2 m) and 65 feet (19.8 m), respectively. It drains a 24,770-acre (100.25 km2) watershed, has five major inlets, and empties to the Castleton River, a tributary of the Poultney River, which in turn flows west to East Bay at the southern end of Lake Champlain. Bomoseen State Park occupies a portion of the lake's western shoreline. Most of the remaining area around the lake is privately owned. The lake has such recreational accommodations as a public beach, marinas, and public boat launches, in addition to the state...From the Wikipedia article “Lake Bomoseen”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Bomoseen the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:57 AM | 90° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:12 AM | 56° NE | 8:39 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 26m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:41 AM | 89° E | 6:52 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:24 AM | 123° ESE | 4:19 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 56m |
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 | 6:52 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:09 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 18m |
| February | 6:23 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 31m |
| March | 6:38 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:44 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:41 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:49 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 25m |
| May | 4:56 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 43m |
| June | 4:36 AM | 5:12 AM | 5:55 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:13 PM | 15h 25m |
| July | 4:51 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:08 PM | 15h 07m |
| August | 5:27 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 00m |
| September | 6:04 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:11 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:34 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:39 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:40 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:17 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:31 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 41m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:07 AM | 3:31 PM | 4:17 PM | 4:50 PM | 8h 57m |
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 Bomoseen, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:45 AM – 5:25 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:41 AM – 4:21 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:45 AM – 3:15 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:00 PM – 2:40 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:47 PM – 1:27 AM | 2.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:50 PM – 11:20 PM | 1.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:44 PM – 9:24 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.54 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 52% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (76%). 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 | 59 | 68 | 75 | 82 | 86 | 94 | 97 | 92 | 90 | 78 | 69 | 65 |
| Low °F | -32 | -24 | -19 | 5 | 26 | 32 | 44 | 44 | 33 | 20 | -2 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 4.9 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 3.2 | 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
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Lake Bomoseen, closest first.
State Park
State Park
Waterfall
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
LighthouseWaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Bomoseen?
What time is golden hour at Lake Bomoseen?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Bomoseen?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Bomoseen?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Bomoseen?
How far is Lake Bomoseen from Castleton?
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.