community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Lake Mary Ronan, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 90% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (97th percentile) and lowest in fall (19th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.2 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Lake Mary Ronan?
- First forage: Mar 16 (willows)
- Main flow: May 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jul (snowberry, willows, native wildflowers)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Lake Mary Ronan, 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 24.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): willows, native wildflowers, snowberry, kinnikinnick; dark amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed, huckleberries; extra light amber
- Fall honey (September to November): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, alfalfa, fireweed; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, willows, native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed; 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 41 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.2 mi E, blooms late Jun – late Oct (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 Mary Ronan
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Northern Rocky Mountain Montane-Foothill Deciduous Shrubland; Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane-Foothill-Valley Grassland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.03 mi SW; pond, lake or river 0.22 mi W.
How Lake Mary Ronan ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 70th | 53rd | 80th | 68th |
| Montana | 90th | 97th | 82nd | 19th |
| Northern Rockies | 55th | 64th | 30th | 76th |
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 Mary Ronan: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Dayton 6 mi · Elmo 6 mi · Rollins 9 mi · Lakeside 10 mi · Big Arm 10 mi · Niarada 10 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 Lake Mary Ronan (47.9172, -114.3791); 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.