community in Oregon
Honey bee forage in Silver Lake, Oregon
Estimated forage here is better than about 51% of sites in Oregon. Against other Oregon sites it stands out most in fall (88th percentile) and lowest in spring (57th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.3 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Silver Lake?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, weedy mustards)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Sep 15, peaking late Jul (alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Silver 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 May 21.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), native wildflowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, native wildflowers, clovers: white, alsike and red; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): spotted and diffuse knapweed, alfalfa, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush; light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few 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 1,806 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi SE, 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 Silver Lake
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Montane Sagebrush Steppe; North American Arid West Emergent Marsh; Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.08 mi NW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.16 mi N.
How Silver Lake ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 53rd | 44th | 70th | 87th |
| Oregon | 51st | 57th | 61st | 88th |
| Northern Basin and Range | 95th | 97th | 94th | 71st |
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 Silver Lake: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Chemult 38 mi · Beaver Marsh 38 mi · Paisley 39 mi · Crescent 40 mi · Gilchrist 41 mi · La Pine 44 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 Silver Lake (43.1264, -121.0495); 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.