community in Oregon
Honey bee forage in Wallowa Lake, Oregon
Estimated forage here is better than about 38% of sites in Oregon. Against other Oregon sites it stands out most in summer (59th percentile) and lowest in spring (28th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 2.1 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years); canola (nearest 2.9 mi NW, grown 2 of the last 5 years); dry beans (nearest 2.1 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Wallowa Lake?
- First forage: Apr 1 (willows, dandelion)
- Main flow: Jun 1 to Aug 15, peaking late Jul (snowberry, huckleberries)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Wallowa 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 Jun 2.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): willows, huckleberries, dandelion, native wildflowers; amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, huckleberries, native wildflowers, mallow ninebark; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed, yellow starthistle, fireweed; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): snowberry, willows, huckleberries, native wildflowers; 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 104 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.1 mi E, blooms late Jul – early Sep (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Canola: about 33 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.9 mi NW, blooms late May – early Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Dry beans: about 12 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.1 mi E, blooms early Aug – early Oct (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 Wallowa Lake
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Northern Rocky Mountain Mesic Montane Mixed Conifer Forest; Rocky Mountain Subalpine Dry-Mesic Spruce-Fir Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0 mi S; open water 0 mi S.
How Wallowa Lake ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 32nd | 21st | 69th | 65th |
| Oregon | 38th | 28th | 59th | 52nd |
| Blue Mountains | 30th | 22nd | 37th | 35th |
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 Wallowa Lake: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Joseph 4 mi · Enterprise 9 mi · Lostine 17 mi · Wallowa 24 mi · Cove 29 mi · Halfway 30 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 Wallowa Lake (45.3005, -117.2152); 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.