community in Nevada
Honey bee forage in Walker Lake, Nevada
Estimated forage here is better than about 66% of sites in Nevada. Against other Nevada sites it stands out most in spring (96th percentile) and lowest in fall (23rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 3.6 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Walker Lake?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Mar 1 to May 31, peaking late Apr (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Fall flow: Jun 16 to Aug 31 (spotted and diffuse knapweed, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Walker 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 Apr 9.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, green/yellow rabbitbrush; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, rabbitbrush, spotted and diffuse knapweed; dark amber
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed, green/yellow rabbitbrush; 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
- Alfalfa: about 57 acres in a typical year, nearest 3.6 mi SE, blooms late May – late Jul (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 Walker Lake
Mostly: Open water; Great Basin Pinyon-Juniper Woodland; Mojave Mid-Elevation Mixed Desert Scrub.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.28 mi SE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.28 mi SE.
How Walker Lake ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 13th | 45th | 17th | 47th |
| Nevada | 66th | 96th | 33rd | 23rd |
| Central Basin and Range | 60th | 93rd | 23rd | 13th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 34% 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 Walker Lake: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Hawthorne 11 mi · Schurz 23 mi · Yerington 29 mi · Smith Valley 34 mi · Mina 39 mi · Topaz Ranch Estates 41 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 Walker Lake (38.6458, -118.7563); 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.