Located in Mecklenburg County, Virginia, Kerr Lake is a lake. The nearest town is Bracey, about 16.6 km (10.3 mi) away (Kerr Lake lies W of town).
The John H. Kerr Reservoir (often called Kerr Lake in North Carolina and Bugg's Island Lake in Virginia) is a reservoir along the border of the U.S. states of North Carolina and Virginia. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed the John H. Kerr Dam across the Roanoke River between 1947 and 1952 to produce hydroelectricity as well as for flood control. Kerr Lake is the largest lake in Virginia, with 850 miles (1,370 km) of shoreline located in Vance, Granville, and Warren counties in North Carolina, as well as Mecklenburg, Charlotte, and Halifax counties in Virginia. At its maximum capacity, it covers approximately 50,000 acres (200 km2) and is one of the largest reservoirs in the Southeastern United States. The name honors its Congressional sponsor, John H. Kerr, a North Carolina Democrat who supported creation of the lake. The lake supports recreational tourism in North...From the Wikipedia article “Kerr Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Kerr 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 301° (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) | 7:18 AM | 90° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:56 AM | 60° ENE | 8:36 PM | 301° WNW | 77° | 14h 40m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:02 AM | 89° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:22 AM | 119° ESE | 5:02 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 39m |
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 | 6:57 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 56m |
| February | 6:36 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:21 PM | 10h 52m |
| March | 6:59 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:47 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:14 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 5:38 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 07m |
| June | 5:25 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 39m |
| July | 5:37 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 25m |
| August | 6:04 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 34m |
| September | 6:30 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:38 PM | 7:04 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 6:24 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 14m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 41m |
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 Kerr Lake, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:01 AM – 5:31 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:17 AM – 5:57 AM | 1.7 | 21° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:08 AM – 4:58 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:15 AM – 4:15 AM | 4.0 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:24 PM – 3:54 AM | 5.5 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:19 PM – 2:39 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:41 PM – 12:31 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:49 PM – 10:29 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:04 PM – 8:34 PM | 0.5 | 14° | 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 ≈ 21.53 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show November as the clearest month (about 46% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (58%). 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 | 73 | 77 | 84 | 89 | 95 | 105 | 105 | 104 | 100 | 101 | 82 | 76 |
| Low °F | 7 | 4 | -2 | 24 | 35 | 47 | 56 | 53 | 41 | 27 | 19 | 5 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 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
- Expose for the brighter sky; reflections are typically half a stop to a stop darker.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Kerr Lake, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
Waterfall
State Park
State ParkScenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- North Bend Park1.9 km (1.2 mi) · reservable
- North Bend Park Osage Picnic Shelter3.0 km (1.8 mi) · reservable
- Old Picnic Area (John H Kerr)3.6 km (2.3 mi) · reservable
- Palmer Point Park3.7 km (2.3 mi) · reservable
- Tailrace Park4.1 km (2.6 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Kerr Lake?
What time is golden hour at Kerr Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Kerr Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Kerr Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Kerr Lake?
How far is Kerr Lake from Bracey?
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.