community in California
Honey bee forage in Twin Lakes, California
Estimated forage here is better than about 30% of sites in California. Against other California sites it stands out most in summer (85th percentile) and lowest in spring (15th). Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river, less than 0.1 mi away.
When is the honey flow in Twin Lakes?
- First forage: Apr 16 (spring-flowering shrubs, dandelion, native wildflowers)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Jul 31, peaking early Jun (spring-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering shrubs)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Twin Lakes, 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 Jun 5.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): spring-flowering shrubs, dandelion, native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, spring-flowering shrubs, snowberry, native wildflowers; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): summer-flowering shrubs, spotted and diffuse knapweed, snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): spring-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering shrubs, snowberry, native wildflowers; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
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 Twin Lakes
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Montane Sagebrush Steppe; California Montane Woodland and Chaparral; Northern California Mesic Subalpine Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0 mi S; open water 0 mi S.
How Twin Lakes ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 17th | 11th | 59th | 46th |
| California | 30th | 15th | 85th | 81st |
| Sierra Nevada | 27th | 23rd | 67th | 81st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 68% 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 Twin Lakes: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Virginia Lakes 9 mi · Bridgeport 10 mi · Mono City 14 mi · Lee Vining 19 mi · Walker 26 mi · Coleville 30 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 Twin Lakes (38.1629, -119.3411); 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.