community in Wisconsin
Honey bee forage in Lake Wisconsin, Wisconsin
Estimated forage here is better than about 4% of sites in Wisconsin. Against other Wisconsin sites it ranks highest in fall (30th percentile) and lowest in spring (11th). Biggest nearby bee crops: alfalfa (right here, grown 2 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 0.1 mi S, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 1.2 mi SW, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Lake Wisconsin?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Jun 16 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (alfalfa, soybeans)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Lake Wisconsin, 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 11.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, alfalfa; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering shrubs; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion; light amber, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion; 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
- Alfalfa: about 147 acres in a typical year, nearest 0 mi S, blooms late Jun – early Sep (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 43 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.1 mi S, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 3 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 Lake Wisconsin
Mostly: Open water; North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.06 mi N; pond, lake or river 0.07 mi NE.
How Lake Wisconsin ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 24th | 34th | 61st | 49th |
| Wisconsin | 4th | 11th | 13th | 30th |
| Southeastern Wisconsin Till Plains | below the 1st | 29th | 1st | 14th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 32% 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 Lake Wisconsin: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Merrimac 2 mi · Lodi 4 mi · Prairie du Sac 9 mi · Bluffview 9 mi · Dekorra 9 mi · Sauk City 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 Lake Wisconsin (43.3647, -89.596); 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.