city in Michigan
Honey bee forage in Lake City, Michigan
Estimated forage here is better than about 19% of sites in Michigan. Against other Michigan sites it stands out most in fall (78th percentile) and lowest in spring (25th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (right here); corn (nearest 0.4 mi E).
When is the honey flow in Lake City?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Sep 15, peaking late May (alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Lake City, 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 21.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Alfalfa: about 87 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi NE, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 35 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi E, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 5 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 City
Mostly: Laurentian-Acadian Northern Oak Forest; Laurentian-Acadian Sub-boreal Aspen-Birch Forest; Open water.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.2 mi SE; pond, lake or river 0.34 mi W.
How Lake City ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 49th | 48th | 68th | 71st |
| Michigan | 19th | 25th | 37th | 78th |
| Northern Lakes and Forests | 33rd | 16th | 63rd | 92nd |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 33% 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 Lake City: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Jennings 4 mi · Falmouth 9 mi · McBain 9 mi · Haring 10 mi · Manton 11 mi · Cadillac 12 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 Lake City (44.3297, -85.2085); 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.