village in Wisconsin
Honey bee forage in Mattoon, Wisconsin
Estimated forage here is better than about 44% of sites in Wisconsin. Against other Wisconsin sites it stands out most in spring (69th percentile) and lowest in summer (45th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.3 mi W); alfalfa (nearest 0.5 mi SE).
When is the honey flow in Mattoon?
- First forage: Mar 16 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking late May (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), alfalfa, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden))
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 15 (alfalfa)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Mattoon, 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 22.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): alfalfa, summer-flowering shrubs, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red; white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Fall honey (September to November): alfalfa, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); white, likely to set within weeks to a few months
- Whole season (March to November): alfalfa, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), clovers: white, alsike and red; 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 52 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi W, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 5 of the last 5 years)
- Alfalfa: about 43 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.6 mi NE, blooms early Jul – early Sep (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 Mattoon
Mostly: Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest; Laurentian-Acadian Alkaline Conifer-Hardwood Swamp; Boreal-Laurentian Conifer Acidic Swamp and Treed Poor Fen.
Nearest mapped water: mapped stream or canal (may be dry in late summer) 0.08 mi S; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.2 mi W.
How Mattoon ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 70th | 65th | 76th | 64th |
| Wisconsin | 44th | 69th | 45th | 55th |
| North Central Hardwood Forests | 32nd | 78th | 32nd | 25th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 68% 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 Mattoon: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Zoar 8 mi · Aniwa 8 mi · Birnamwood 10 mi · Bowler 10 mi · Antigo 11 mi · Neopit 11 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 Mattoon (45.0046, -89.0412); 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.