Located in City of Chesapeake, Virginia, Lake Drummond is a lake. It sits roughly 16.7 km (10.4 mi) SE of South Suffolk.
Lake Drummond is a freshwater lake of uncertain origin at the center of the Great Dismal Swamp, a marshy region on the Coastal Plain of southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina, between Norfolk, Virginia, and Elizabeth City, North Carolina. Its surface area is approximately 3,142 acres (13 km2) and its maximum depth is 6 ft (2 m). It is managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Lake Drummond is one of only two natural freshwater lakes in Virginia. The other, Mountain Lake in Giles County, is also of unknown origin. Both are lakes essentially on top of hills. Drummond is the highest point in the Dismal Swamp, with nine small ditches flowing out of it.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Drummond”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Drummond 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) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:48 AM | 60° ENE | 8:28 PM | 301° WNW | 77° | 14h 40m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:15 AM | 119° ESE | 4:54 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 | 6:50 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 56m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 52m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:06 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 5:31 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 07m |
| June | 5:17 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 39m |
| July | 5:30 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 26m |
| August | 5:57 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 34m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:48 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:57 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 6:17 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:21 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:26 PM | 10h 14m |
| December | 6:43 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:21 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 Lake Drummond, 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 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:54 AM – 5:24 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:10 AM – 5:50 AM | 1.7 | 21° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:01 AM – 4:51 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:08 AM – 4:08 AM | 4.0 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:17 PM – 3:47 AM | 5.5 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:12 PM – 2:32 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:34 PM – 12:24 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:42 PM – 10:22 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:57 PM – 8:27 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: 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 ≈ 20.39 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show November as the clearest month (about 47% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (57%). 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 | 71 | 74 | 80 | 85 | 95 | 99 | 101 | 101 | 96 | 94 | 79 | 75 |
| Low °F | 11 | 6 | 19 | 29 | 41 | 53 | 61 | 59 | 52 | 38 | 25 | 19 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 5.1 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 3.5 |
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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Lake Drummond, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
State Park
National Wildlife RefugeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Drummond?
What time is golden hour at Lake Drummond?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Drummond?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Drummond?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Drummond?
How far is Lake Drummond from South Suffolk?
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.