city in North Dakota
Honey bee forage in Fort Yates, North Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 0% of sites in North Dakota. Against other North Dakota sites it stands out most in spring (84th percentile) and lowest in fall (below the 1st). Biggest nearby bee crops: canola (nearest 1.3 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 1.4 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); peas (nearest 1.3 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Fort Yates?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 31, peaking early Jul (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Fort Yates, 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 14.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, canola; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light 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
- Canola: about 50 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi SW, blooms early Jun – late Jul (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 472 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.9 mi S, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Peas: about 71 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi SW, blooms late May – late Jun (grown 1 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 Fort Yates
Mostly: Open water; Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Northwestern Great Plains Riparian Herbaceous.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.15 mi E; pond, lake or river 0.17 mi E.
How Fort Yates ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 23rd | 38th | 52nd | 56th |
| North Dakota | below the 1st | 84th | 1st | below the 1st |
| Northwestern Great Plains | 25th | 87th | 35th | 1st |
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 Fort Yates: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Selfridge 14 mi · Cannon Ball 16 mi · Solen 22 mi · Strasburg 23 mi · Linton 23 mi · Porcupine 24 mi
All towns in North Dakota · National map · How the scoring works
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 Fort Yates (46.0866, -100.6301); 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.