community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Spokane Creek, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 80% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring (95th percentile) and lowest in summer (64th). Biggest nearby bee crops: canola (nearest 0.6 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 1.9 mi SE).
When is the honey flow in Spokane Creek?
- First forage: Mar 16 (willows, dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Sep 15, peaking late May (spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Nov 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Spokane Creek, 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 21.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, willows, native wildflowers, dandelion; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers, snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, clovers: white, alsike and red; amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red, willows; 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
- Canola: about 5 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi W, blooms early May – late Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 67 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.9 mi SE, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 5 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 Spokane Creek
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Middle Rocky Mountain Montane Douglas-fir Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.19 mi W; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.21 mi W.
How Spokane Creek ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 59th | 47th | 72nd | 93rd |
| Montana | 80th | 95th | 64th | 78th |
| Middle Rockies | 91st | 98th | 77th | 72nd |
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 Spokane Creek: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Winston 6 mi · Montana City 9 mi · East Helena 9 mi · Helena Valley Southeast 10 mi · The Silos 12 mi · South Hills 12 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 Spokane Creek (46.5343, -111.7391); 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.