city in California

Honey bee forage in Lakeport, California

Estimated forage here is better than about 68% of sites in California. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other California sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: pears (nearest 1.7 mi NW); grapes (nearest 1.7 mi SE).

When is the honey flow in Lakeport?

  • First forage: Jan 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
  • Main flow: Feb 16 to May 15, peaking late Mar (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
  • Fall flow: Jun 1 to Jun 15 (roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
  • Season ends: Sep 30
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Lakeport, 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 20.

What the honey is made of

  • Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
  • Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
  • Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
  • Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months

Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.

Bee crops within flight range

  • Pears: about 225 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.7 mi NW, blooms early Mar – late Mar
  • Grapes: about 54 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.8 mi NW, blooms late Apr – late May

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 Lakeport

Mostly: Open water; Northern and Central California Dry-Mesic Chaparral; California Ruderal Grassland and Meadow.

Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.07 mi E; pond, lake or river 0.44 mi E.

Things to watch

  • Heavily developed. About 58% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
  • Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Pears: insecticides used on about 77% of surveyed US acres (2025); Grapes (all types): insecticides used on about 58% of surveyed US acres (2021); Grapes, wine type: insecticides used on about 56% of surveyed US acres (2025); Grapes, table type: insecticides used on about 50% of surveyed US acres (2025); Grapes, raisin type: insecticides used on about 77% of surveyed US acres (2025). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.

How Lakeport ranks

Against random land inOverallSpringSummerFall
Continental US71st93rd34th30th
California68th66th60th61st
Central California Foothills and Coastal Mountains21st17th48th35th

Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.

The national forage map around Lakeport: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.

Nearby

North Lakeport 3 mi · Kelseyville 7 mi · Nice 7 mi · Soda Bay 8 mi · Lucerne 8 mi · Upper Lake 9 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 Lakeport (39.0383, -122.9226); 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.