city in Minnesota
Honey bee forage in Lake City, Minnesota
Estimated forage here is better than about 38% of sites in Minnesota. Against other Minnesota sites it stands out most in spring (80th percentile) and lowest in summer (40th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years); apples (nearest 2.2 mi SE).
When is the honey flow in Lake City?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans)
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers)
- 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 13.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; 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, garden flowers; 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 169 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi SW, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 874 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi SW, blooms early Jul – early 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 City
Mostly: Open water; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; North-Central Interior Maple-Basswood Forest.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.26 mi W; open water 0.26 mi W.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 72% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Apples: insecticides used on about 77% of surveyed US acres (2025). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Lake City ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 71st | 67th | 76th | 72nd |
| Minnesota | 38th | 80th | 40th | 59th |
| Driftless Area | 27th | 92nd | 15th | 88th |
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 City: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Frontenac 5 mi · Bellechester 12 mi · Wabasha 13 mi · Zumbro Falls 13 mi · Millville 14 mi · Hammond 16 mi
All towns in Minnesota · 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 (44.4457, -92.2809); 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.