community in California
Honey bee forage in Lake City, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 37% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in fall (93rd percentile) and lowest in spring (34th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.5 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Lake City?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 31, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Lake City, 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 14.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, ceanothus: redstem, snowberry; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed; white, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed, green/yellow rabbitbrush; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, snowberry; extra 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 57 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.5 mi E, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 3 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 City
Mostly: Columbia Plateau Western Juniper Woodland and Savanna; Sierran-Intermontane Desert Western White Pine-White Fir Woodland; Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.25 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.27 mi S.
How Lake City ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 30th | 42nd | 58th | 61st |
| California | 37th | 34th | 84th | 93rd |
| Eastern Cascades Slopes and Foothills | 45th | 67th | 36th | 52nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 53% 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 City: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Cedarville 8 mi · Fort Bidwell 15 mi · Daphnedale Park 19 mi · Alturas 20 mi · Eagleville 23 mi · New Pine Creek 24 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 City (41.6453, -120.2221); 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.