city in Wisconsin
Honey bee forage in Baraboo, Wisconsin
Estimated forage here is better than about 84% of sites in Wisconsin. Against other Wisconsin sites it stands out most in fall (88th percentile) and lowest in summer (61st). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.8 mi E, grown 4 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.8 mi E, grown 1 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 1.6 mi N, grown 4 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Baraboo?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 31, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Baraboo, 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): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, black locust; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, garden flowers; extra 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 1,455 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi E, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 112 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi E, blooms late Jun – 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 Baraboo
Mostly: North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland; Developed, low intensity (houses and yards).
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.07 mi S; open water 0.07 mi S.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 83% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Baraboo ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 83rd | 72nd | 83rd | 80th |
| Wisconsin | 84th | 82nd | 61st | 88th |
| Driftless Area | 73rd | 97th | 41st | 98th |
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 Baraboo: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
West Baraboo 2 mi · North Freedom 6 mi · Bluffview 8 mi · Merrimac 8 mi · Lake Delton 9 mi · Rock Springs 9 mi
All towns in Wisconsin · 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 Baraboo (43.4681, -89.7384); 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.