village in Wisconsin
Honey bee forage in Sauk City, Wisconsin
Estimated forage here is better than about 82% of sites in Wisconsin. Spring, summer and fall all rank about the same against other Wisconsin sites. Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.3 mi W, grown 3 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.3 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 0.8 mi W, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Sauk City?
- First forage: Mar 16 (dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red)
- Main flow: May 1 to Aug 31, peaking late Jul (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Sauk 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): dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, garden flowers, black locust; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, alfalfa, garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion, garden flowers; 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 3,698 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi W, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 3 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 127 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.3 mi W, 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 Sauk City
Mostly: North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland; Corn; North-Central Interior Floodplain Forest.
Nearest mapped water: open water 0.37 mi N; pond, lake or river 0.68 mi SE.
Things to watch
- Heavily developed. About 59% of the land within a mile is developed. Less room for forage, and more neighbors near the hives.
How Sauk City ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 82nd | 63rd | 86th | 72nd |
| Wisconsin | 82nd | 64th | 71st | 73rd |
| Driftless Area | 70th | 81st | 54th | 85th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
The national forage map around Sauk City: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Prairie du Sac 1 mi · Bluffview 7 mi · Mazomanie 8 mi · Merrimac 9 mi · Lake Wisconsin 9 mi · Black Earth 10 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 Sauk City (43.2733, -89.7325); 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.