city in Iowa
Honey bee forage in Goose Lake, Iowa
Estimated forage here is better than about 26% of sites in Iowa. Against other Iowa sites it stands out most in spring (72nd percentile) and lowest in summer (26th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.1 mi N, grown 4 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi N, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 1.0 mi N).
When is the honey flow in Goose Lake?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 15, peaking late Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Goose Lake, 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 5.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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
- Corn: about 15,121 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi N, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 2,633 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.2 mi SE, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 1 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 Goose Lake
Mostly: Soybeans; Corn; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.27 mi W; open water 0.28 mi W.
How Goose Lake ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 87th | 49th | 91st | 48th |
| Iowa | 26th | 72nd | 26th | 70th |
| Western Corn Belt Plains | 18th | 82nd | 17th | 65th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 31% 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 Goose Lake: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Charlotte 4 mi · Preston 6 mi · Miles 7 mi · Andover 7 mi · Spragueville 8 mi · Clinton 11 mi
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 Goose Lake (41.9676, -90.3818); 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.