city in Oregon
Honey bee forage in Bay City, Oregon
Estimated forage here is better than about 83% of sites in Oregon. Against other Oregon sites it stands out most in spring (86th percentile) and lowest in fall (22nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 1.4 mi SE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Bay City?
- First forage: Feb 1 (dandelion, willows)
- Main flow: Mar 1 to Jun 15, peaking early Apr (summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Aug 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bay City, 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 6.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, maples; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); amber
- Whole season (March to November): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, maples; 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
- Corn: about 87 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.6 mi SE, blooms early Jun – early Aug (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 Bay City
Mostly: Open water; North Pacific Seasonal Sitka Spruce Forest; North Pacific Maritime Mesic-Wet Douglas-fir-Western Hemlock Forest.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0 mi S; open water 0.02 mi N.
How Bay City ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 91st | 98th | 63rd | 19th |
| Oregon | 83rd | 86th | 49th | 22nd |
| Coast Range | 38th | 46th | 47th | 85th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 51% 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 Bay City: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Idaville 1 mi · Garibaldi 3 mi · Cape Meares 3 mi · Tillamook 5 mi · Oceanside 6 mi · Netarts 6 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 Bay City (45.5214, -123.889); 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.