community in Washington
Honey bee forage in Chain Lake, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 93% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in spring (95th percentile) and lowest in fall (35th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 2.3 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years); blueberries (nearest 2.4 mi W); canola (nearest 3.3 mi W, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Chain Lake?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, maples)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 15, peaking late Apr (summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, maples)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Chain 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 Apr 15.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, maples, dandelion; 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, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- 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 53 acres in a typical year, nearest 2.9 mi SW, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 4 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 Chain Lake
Mostly: North Pacific Broadleaf Landslide Forest; North Pacific Maritime Mesic-Wet Douglas-fir-Western Hemlock Forest; North Pacific Lowland Riparian Forest.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi E; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.02 mi W.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Blueberries: insecticides used on about 91% of acres in Washington (2025); Pumpkins: insecticides used on about 75% of surveyed US acres (2024). Figures are from USDA's Agricultural Chemical Use Survey, matched by crop type from the crop map. The survey counts any insecticide use in the crop year (not seed treatments) and doesn't say when; ask nearby growers about spray timing.
How Chain Lake ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 99th | 99th | 76th | 41st |
| Washington | 93rd | 95th | 36th | 35th |
| Puget Lowland | 70th | 74th | 45th | 63rd |
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 Chain Lake: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Monroe North 1 mi · Monroe 3 mi · Three Lakes 4 mi · Woods Creek 4 mi · Snohomish 5 mi · Lake Roesiger 6 mi
All towns in Washington · 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 Chain Lake (47.9023, -121.9871); 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.