community in Michigan
Honey bee forage in Lake Fenton, Michigan
Estimated forage here is better than about 38% of sites in Michigan. Against other Michigan sites it stands out most in fall (75th percentile) and lowest in summer (42nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 1.1 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.1 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Lake Fenton?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Jul 31, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Aug 16 to Aug 31 (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Lake Fenton, 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 11.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, 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): clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, early trees (maple, willow, poplar); extra 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 73 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.8 mi N, blooms late Jun – late 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 Lake Fenton
Mostly: Open water; North-Central Interior Beech-Maple Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.07 mi NW; pond, lake or river 0.09 mi N.
How Lake Fenton ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 64th | 67th | 70th | 68th |
| Michigan | 38th | 60th | 42nd | 75th |
| Southern Michigan/Northern Indiana Drift Plains | 5th | 72nd | 7th | 71st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 40% 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 Fenton: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Fenton 3 mi · Linden 4 mi · Holly 5 mi · Argentine 7 mi · Grand Blanc 8 mi · Swartz Creek 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 Lake Fenton (42.8452, -83.7111); 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.