community in California
Honey bee forage in Lake Almanor Peninsula, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 56% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in summer (95th percentile) and lowest in spring (43rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.6 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Lake Almanor Peninsula?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, maples, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 15, peaking late May (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Lake Almanor Peninsula, 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 May 19.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, ceanothus: redstem, maples; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry, ceanothus: redstem; 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
- Alfalfa: about 2 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi NW, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
From USDA's crop maps for 2021–2025; fields rotate, so a crop counts by how often it was grown. Listing a field says nothing about its owner.
The land and water around Lake Almanor Peninsula
Mostly: Open water; Mediterranean California Dry-Mesic Mixed Conifer Forest and Woodland; California Montane Jeffrey Pine-(Ponderosa Pine) Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi S; pond, lake or river 0.54 mi SE.
How Lake Almanor Peninsula ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 58th | 62nd | 69th | 61st |
| California | 56th | 43rd | 95th | 93rd |
| Cascades | 32nd | 43rd | 33rd | 85th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 51% 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 Lake Almanor Peninsula: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Lake Almanor Country Club 2 mi · Hamilton Branch 2 mi · East Shore 4 mi · Clear Creek 5 mi · Lake Almanor West 5 mi · Almanor 5 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 Lake Almanor Peninsula (40.2812, -121.1345); 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.