village in Wisconsin
Honey bee forage in Bay City, Wisconsin
Estimated forage here is better than about 37% of sites in Wisconsin. Against other Wisconsin sites it stands out most in spring (67th percentile) and lowest in summer (42nd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi E, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.5 mi N, grown 3 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.3 mi E, grown 3 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Bay City?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 31, peaking early May (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Season ends: Oct 31
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bay City, 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): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion; 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
- Soybeans: about 361 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi E, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 1 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 284 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.3 mi E, blooms early Jul – early 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 Bay City
Mostly: North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Open water; Corn.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.2 mi NE; mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.26 mi E.
How Bay City ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 67th | 64th | 75th | 62nd |
| Wisconsin | 37th | 67th | 42nd | 48th |
| Driftless Area | 15th | 85th | 13th | 31st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 53% 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 Bay City: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Hager City 4 mi · Maiden Rock 7 mi · Diamond Bluff 9 mi · Ellsworth 10 mi · Stockholm 11 mi · Plum City 13 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 Bay City (44.5893, -92.4535); 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.