city in Washington
Honey bee forage in Soap Lake, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 39% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in fall (86th percentile) and lowest in summer (27th). Biggest nearby bee crops: apples (nearest 1.3 mi SE); alfalfa (nearest 0.4 mi E); corn (nearest 0.7 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Soap Lake?
- First forage: Mar 1 (dandelion, willows)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Aug 31, peaking early May (alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Fall flow: Sep 16 to Sep 30 (alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Soap 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 27.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa, willows; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, spotted and diffuse knapweed, dandelion; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, green/yellow rabbitbrush, rubber rabbitbrush, garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; 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
- Apples: about 372 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.5 mi NW, blooms late Apr – early May
- Alfalfa: about 155 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi SE, blooms early Jun – late Sep (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 51 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi E, blooms early Jul – late 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 Soap Lake
Mostly: Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Shrubland; Columbia Plateau Steppe and Grassland; Columbia Plateau Scabland Shrubland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.02 mi N; pond, lake or river 0.08 mi NW.
Things to watch
- Bee crops nearby that are often sprayed. Apples: insecticides used on about 76% of acres in Washington (2025). 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 Soap Lake ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 70th | 68th | 72nd | 82nd |
| Washington | 39th | 61st | 27th | 86th |
| Columbia Plateau | 79th | 88th | 67th | 82nd |
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 Soap Lake: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Lakeview 1 mi · Ephrata 6 mi · Moses Lake North 16 mi · Wilson Creek 17 mi · Coulee City 18 mi · Cascade Valley 19 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 Soap Lake (47.3911, -119.4846); 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.