city in South Dakota
Honey bee forage in Lead, South Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 12% of sites in South Dakota. Against other South Dakota sites it ranks highest in spring (38th percentile) and lowest in fall (26th). Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer), 0.26 mi E.
When is the honey flow in Lead?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 16 to Aug 15, peaking early Jun (clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 30 (snowberry, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Lead, 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 28.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, smooth sumac; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, sweet clovers, dandelion; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry, spotted and diffuse knapweed; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, snowberry, sweet clovers; extra 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
No rated bee crops within about 3.7 miles of the town center. The forage here is wild plants, trees and gardens.
The land and water around Lead
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains-Black Hills Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna; Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Rocky Mountain Aspen Forest and Woodland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.26 mi E; open water 0.27 mi NE.
How Lead ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 28th | 31st | 61st | 72nd |
| South Dakota | 12th | 38th | 31st | 26th |
| Middle Rockies | 55th | 90th | 43rd | 20th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 69% 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 Lead: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Central City 1 mi · Deadwood 3 mi · Crook City 8 mi · Boulder Canyon 9 mi · Mountain Plains 9 mi · Spearfish 10 mi
All towns in South 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 Lead (44.3528, -103.7671); 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.