city in North Dakota
Honey bee forage in Lincoln, North Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 26% of sites in North Dakota. Against other North Dakota sites it stands out most in spring (97th percentile) and lowest in summer (19th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.3 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.6 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.9 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Lincoln?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Sep 15, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Lincoln, 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 18.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), native wildflowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans; extra 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
- Corn: about 99 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi NW, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 59 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi NW, blooms early Jul – early Sep (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 Lincoln
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Northwestern Great Plains Riparian Herbaceous; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards).
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.19 mi N; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.34 mi NE.
How Lincoln ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 74th | 56th | 79th | 94th |
| North Dakota | 26th | 97th | 19th | 30th |
| Northwestern Glaciated Plains | 63rd | 97th | 50th | 76th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 46% of the land here is scored with national averages for its vegetation type rather than measured plant cover, so the wild-plant part of this estimate is rougher than the crop part.
The national forage map around Lincoln: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Bismarck 5 mi · Apple Valley 6 mi · Menoken 8 mi · Mandan 10 mi · Harmon 18 mi · Driscoll 26 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 Lincoln (46.7703, -100.6908); 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.