community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Clinton, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 96% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (99th percentile) and lowest in fall (42nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.5 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Clinton?
- First forage: Mar 16 (willows, dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jun (snowberry, willows, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 15 (snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Clinton, 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 26.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): willows, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, native wildflowers; amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, willows, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some 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 20 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi NE, blooms early Jul – early Sep (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 Clinton
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Middle Rocky Mountain Montane Douglas-fir Forest and Woodland; Northern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.08 mi NW; open water 0.08 mi S.
How Clinton ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 79th | 63rd | 82nd | 81st |
| Montana | 96th | 99th | 87th | 42nd |
| Middle Rockies | 97th | 99th | 95th | 37th |
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 Clinton: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Turah 7 mi · Piltzville 8 mi · Twin Creeks 10 mi · Potomac 10 mi · Bonner-West Riverside 11 mi · East Missoula 13 mi
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 Clinton (46.7718, -113.7205); 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.