community in Washington
Honey bee forage in Sunday Lake, Washington
Estimated forage here is better than about 79% of sites in Washington. Against other Washington sites it stands out most in spring (81st percentile) and lowest in fall (37th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.7 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); clover and wildflowers (nearest 1.3 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Sunday Lake?
- First forage: Feb 16 (dandelion, maples, willows)
- Main flow: Mar 16 to Jun 30, peaking late Apr (summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Sep 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sunday 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 20.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): summer-flowering shrubs, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, maples; 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, himalayan blackberry; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, dandelion, spotted and diffuse knapweed; extra 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 311 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.7 mi W, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Clover and wildflowers: about 10 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.6 mi W, blooms late Apr – 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 Sunday Lake
Mostly: North Pacific Broadleaf Landslide Forest; North Pacific Lowland Riparian Forest; Western Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.08 mi SW; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.16 mi N.
How Sunday Lake ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 93rd | 98th | 77th | 43rd |
| Washington | 79th | 81st | 40th | 37th |
| Puget Lowland | 24th | 22nd | 53rd | 67th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 39% 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 Sunday Lake: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Silvana 2 mi · Stanwood 3 mi · Northwest Stanwood 4 mi · Bryant 4 mi · Lake Ketchum 5 mi · Warm Beach 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 Sunday Lake (48.2283, -122.2705); 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.