community in California
Honey bee forage in Big Lagoon, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 36% of sites in California. Against other California sites it ranks highest in spring (45th percentile) and lowest in fall (25th). Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow, less than 0.1 mi away.
When is the honey flow in Big Lagoon?
- First forage: Jan 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Feb 1 to May 15, peaking late Mar (summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Aug 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Big Lagoon, from what grows within flight range (about 3.7 miles) and when it blooms here. Dates are the model's estimate for a typical year; the spring index for this spot falls on Mar 13.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): garden flowers, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), garden flowers; amber
- Whole season (March to November): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
No rated bee crops within about 3.7 miles of the town center. The forage here is wild plants, trees and gardens.
The land and water around Big Lagoon
Mostly: Open water; Mediterranean California Mixed Evergreen Forest; California Coastal Redwood Forest.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.08 mi NE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.11 mi NE.
How Big Lagoon ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 27th | 66th | 8th | 9th |
| California | 36th | 45th | 29th | 25th |
| Coast Range | 9th | 10th | 11th | 71st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 56% of the land here is scored with national averages for its vegetation type rather than measured plant cover, so the wild-plant part of this estimate is rougher than the crop part.
The national forage map around Big Lagoon: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Trinidad 7 mi · Westhaven-Moonstone 9 mi · Orick 10 mi · Fieldbrook 14 mi · McKinleyville 15 mi · Kep'el 18 mi
All towns in California · National map · How the scoring works
An estimate from public maps (USDA crop maps 2021–2025 averaged, LANDFIRE vegetation), not a survey of the ground. Maps can't see garden plantings, understory density, other beekeepers' hives, or this year's weather. The point is the Census Bureau's published center of Big Lagoon (41.1594, -124.1297); a yard a mile or two away can differ, so check your own spot. The FEMA flood map was not checked for this page. Benchmark 2026.5, built 2026-10-19. How this works · All sources.