community in Indiana
Honey bee forage in Lake Bruce, Indiana
Estimated forage here is better than about 38% of sites in Indiana. Against other Indiana sites it stands out most in fall (56th percentile) and lowest in spring (38th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.1 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.1 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.6 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Lake Bruce?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (soybeans)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Lake Bruce, 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 3.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): soybeans, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans
- 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), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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 15,568 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi W, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 3,728 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi SW, blooms late Jun – late Aug (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 Bruce
Mostly: Corn; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.04 mi N; open water 0.04 mi NE.
How Lake Bruce ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 87th | 37th | 92nd | 24th |
| Indiana | 38th | 38th | 50th | 56th |
| Southern Michigan/Northern Indiana Drift Plains | 72nd | 21st | 78th | 9th |
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 Lake Bruce: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Kewanna 5 mi · Leiters Ford 5 mi · Monterey 6 mi · Winamac 7 mi · Hartz Lake 7 mi · Star City 8 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 Lake Bruce (41.0735, -86.4652); 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.