community in Michigan
Honey bee forage in Barnes Lake, Michigan
Estimated forage here is better than about 56% of sites in Michigan. Against other Michigan sites it stands out most in fall (78th percentile) and lowest in spring (59th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.5 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.5 mi SE, grown 4 of the last 5 years); dry beans (nearest 0.6 mi S, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Barnes Lake?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 31, peaking late May (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Barnes 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 13.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); 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
- Soybeans: about 336 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi NE, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 136 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi NE, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 4 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 Barnes Lake
Mostly: North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; North-Central Interior Dry Oak Forest and Woodland; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.05 mi SW; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.05 mi SW.
How Barnes Lake ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 74th | 66th | 78th | 71st |
| Michigan | 56th | 59th | 62nd | 78th |
| Southern Michigan/Northern Indiana Drift Plains | 14th | 71st | 19th | 76th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 63% 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 Barnes Lake: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Millers Lake 1 mi · Columbiaville 5 mi · Fostoria 6 mi · North Branch 6 mi · Otter Lake 8 mi · Lapeer 10 mi
All towns in Michigan · 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 Barnes Lake (43.1828, -83.3033); 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.