city in Washington
Honey bee forage in Medical Lake, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 40% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in fall (90th percentile) and lowest in summer (33rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (nearest 0.4 mi NW, grown 4 of the last 5 years); canola (nearest 1.5 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Medical Lake?
- First forage: Mar 1 (willows, dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 31, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Sep 16 to Sep 30 (alfalfa, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Medical 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 14.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, willows, snowberry; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, snowberry, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, snowberry; 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 35 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi NW, blooms late Jun – early Oct (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Canola: about 34 acres in a typical year, nearest 2 mi NE, blooms early May – late Jul (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 Medical Lake
Mostly: Northern Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Woodland and Savanna; Columbia Basin Foothill Riparian Woodland; Winter Wheat.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0 mi S; open water 0 mi S.
How Medical Lake ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 70th | 62nd | 75th | 87th |
| Washington | 40th | 54th | 33rd | 90th |
| Columbia Plateau | 80th | 80th | 73rd | 90th |
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 Medical Lake: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Fairchild AFB 4 mi · Four Lakes 5 mi · Airway Heights 7 mi · Cheney 7 mi · Reardan 11 mi · Spokane 14 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 Medical Lake (47.571, -117.6894); 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.