community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Swan Lake, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 80% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in spring and summer (84th percentile) and lowest in fall (5th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 3.2 mi SW, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Swan Lake?
- First forage: Apr 1 (willows)
- Main flow: May 16 to Aug 15, peaking late Jul (snowberry, huckleberries, willows)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Swan 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, huckleberries, native wildflowers, kinnikinnick; dark amber
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, huckleberries, native wildflowers, fireweed; water white
- Fall honey (September to November): snowberry, fireweed, native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed; water white
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, huckleberries, willows, native wildflowers; amber
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 3.2 mi SW, blooms early Jul – early Nov (grown 3 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 Swan Lake
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Rocky Mountain Subalpine Mesic-Wet Spruce-Fir Forest and Woodland; Northern Rocky Mountain Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi N; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.82 mi E.
How Swan Lake ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 58th | 34th | 81st | 52nd |
| Montana | 80th | 84th | 84th | 5th |
| Canadian Rockies | 59th | 87th | 61st | 3rd |
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 Swan Lake: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Bear Dance 11 mi · Woods Bay 13 mi · Bigfork 16 mi · Finley Point 18 mi · Rollins 18 mi · Kings Point 20 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 Swan Lake (47.9361, -113.7997); 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.