community in Montana
Honey bee forage in Wise River, Montana
Estimated forage here is better than about 80% of sites in Montana. Against other Montana sites it stands out most in fall (90th percentile) and lowest in summer (73rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 1.6 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Wise River?
- First forage: Apr 1 (willows, dandelion)
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jun (clovers: white, alsike and red, willows, native wildflowers)
- Fall flow: Sep 16 to Sep 30 (spotted and diffuse knapweed, snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Nov 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Wise River, 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 9.
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): clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry, native wildflowers, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, green/yellow rabbitbrush, snowberry; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, willows, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers; 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 36 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.8 mi E, blooms late Jul – late 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 Wise River
Mostly: Middle Rocky Mountain Montane Douglas-fir Forest and Woodland; Inter-Mountain Basins Montane Sagebrush Steppe; Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.09 mi W; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.13 mi SE.
How Wise River ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 59th | 31st | 77th | 97th |
| Montana | 80th | 75th | 73rd | 90th |
| Middle Rockies | 91st | 90th | 88th | 86th |
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 Wise River: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Dewey 5 mi · Glen 25 mi · Walkerville 26 mi · Maverick Mountain 27 mi · Wisdom 27 mi · Rader Creek 30 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 Wise River (45.7944, -112.9438); 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.