city in Wisconsin
Honey bee forage in Portage, Wisconsin
Estimated forage here is better than about 44% of sites in Wisconsin. Against other Wisconsin sites it stands out most in fall (81st percentile) and lowest in summer (38th). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 1.0 mi NE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 1.0 mi NE, grown 2 of the last 5 years); clover and wildflowers (nearest 1.8 mi NE, grown 1 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Portage?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Portage, 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): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), soybeans, garden flowers; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster), clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers; light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), garden flowers; 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 536 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi NE, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 54 acres in a typical year, nearest 1 mi NE, blooms late Jun – late Aug (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 Portage
Mostly: North-Central Interior Floodplain Forest; North-Central Interior Wet Meadow; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.15 mi NE; pond, lake or river 0.18 mi NE.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 70% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Portage ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 70th | 68th | 73rd | 76th |
| Wisconsin | 44th | 74th | 38th | 81st |
| Southeastern Wisconsin Till Plains | 7th | 88th | 4th | 65th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 41% 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 Portage: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Dekorra 7 mi · Pardeeville 8 mi · Wyocena 9 mi · Briggsville 10 mi · Poynette 11 mi · Endeavor 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 Portage (43.549, -89.4659); 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.