city in Wisconsin
Honey bee forage in Bayfield, Wisconsin
Estimated forage here is better than about 58% of sites in Wisconsin. Against other Wisconsin sites it stands out most in spring (80th percentile) and lowest in summer (48th). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 1.4 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Bayfield?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: May 1 to Jul 15, peaking early Jun (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Bayfield, 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 29.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), summer-flowering shrubs, dandelion; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), 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 3 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.4 mi W, blooms early Jul – late Sep (grown 2 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 Bayfield
Mostly: Open water; Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.16 mi NE; pond, lake or river 0.35 mi NW.
How Bayfield ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 75th | 70th | 78th | 66th |
| Wisconsin | 58th | 80th | 48th | 60th |
| Northern Lakes and Forests | 92nd | 60th | 94th | 89th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 74% 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 Bayfield: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Washburn 10 mi · Bayfront 13 mi · Cornucopia 14 mi · Diaperville 16 mi · Ashland 16 mi · Odanah 17 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 Bayfield (46.8161, -90.8248); 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.