community in South Dakota
Honey bee forage in Oahe Acres, South Dakota
Estimated forage here is better than about 77% of sites in South Dakota. Against other South Dakota sites it stands out most in spring (89th percentile) and lowest in fall (17th). Biggest nearby bee crops: sunflower (nearest 0.4 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi NW, grown 1 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.3 mi NW, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Oahe Acres?
- First forage: Apr 1 (dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Main flow: Jul 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (sunflower, soybeans)
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Oahe Acres, 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 12.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, native wildflowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Summer honey (July and August): sunflower, soybeans, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): sunflower, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans, dandelion; light amber, likely to stay liquid a long time
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Sunflower: about 120 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi S, blooms early Jul – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 1,000 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi N, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 2,718 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi E, blooms early Jul – 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 Oahe Acres
Mostly: Northwestern Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie; Open water; Soybeans.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.18 mi SE; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.18 mi SE.
How Oahe Acres ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 92nd | 48th | 93rd | 64th |
| South Dakota | 77th | 89th | 75th | 17th |
| Northwestern Glaciated Plains | 86th | 92nd | 84th | 21st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 30% 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 Oahe Acres: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Pierre 6 mi · Fort Pierre 7 mi · Cow Creek 8 mi · Blunt 18 mi · Onida 21 mi · Agar 29 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 Oahe Acres (44.4648, -100.3449); 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.