community in Michigan
Honey bee forage in Dollar Bay, Michigan
Estimated forage here is better than about 49% of sites in Michigan. Against other Michigan sites it stands out most in spring (73rd percentile) and lowest in summer (53rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 1.3 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); sorghum (nearest 3.1 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Dollar Bay?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: May 1 to Jul 15, peaking late May (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Dollar Bay, 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 27.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; 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
- Corn: about 1 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi NE, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Sorghum: about 5 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.1 mi SE, blooms late Jul – 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 Dollar Bay
Mostly: Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest; Open water; Laurentian-Acadian Sub-boreal Aspen-Birch Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.31 mi NE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.38 mi NW.
How Dollar Bay ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 70th | 72nd | 73rd | 57th |
| Michigan | 49th | 73rd | 53rd | 57th |
| Northern Lakes and Forests | 78th | 65th | 83rd | 80th |
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 Dollar Bay: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Houghton 3 mi · Hurontown 3 mi · Dodgeville 4 mi · Hancock 4 mi · Hubbell 5 mi · Atlantic Mine 6 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 Dollar Bay (47.1273, -88.507); 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.