community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Seeley Lake, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 97% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (97th percentile) and lowest in fall (46th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.1 mi S, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Seeley Lake?
- First forage: Apr 1 (willows, dandelion)
- Main flow: May 16 to Aug 15, peaking late Jul (snowberry, willows)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Seeley Lake, 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 Jun 1.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): willows, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, mallow ninebark, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, willows, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; 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
- Alfalfa: about 8 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.1 mi S, blooms late 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 Seeley Lake
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Northern Rocky Mountain Montane-Foothill Deciduous Shrubland; Rocky Mountain Lodgepole Pine Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.09 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.09 mi W.
How Seeley Lake ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 80th | 52nd | 86th | 82nd |
| Montana | 97th | 97th | 95th | 46th |
| Middle Rockies | 98th | 98th | 99th | 41st |
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 Seeley Lake: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Ovando 18 mi · Potomac 21 mi · Twin Creeks 22 mi · Condon 27 mi · Evaro 27 mi · Bonner-West Riverside 29 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 Seeley Lake (47.1705, -113.4586); 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.