city in Wisconsin
Honey bee forage in Shell Lake, Wisconsin
Estimated forage here is better than about 2% of sites in Wisconsin. Against other Wisconsin sites it ranks highest in fall (32nd percentile) and lowest in summer (3rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: soybeans (nearest 0.4 mi NW, grown 4 of the last 5 years); corn (nearest 1.2 mi SE, grown 3 of the last 5 years); alfalfa (nearest 1.5 mi W).
When is the honey flow in Shell Lake?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Main flow: Apr 16 to Aug 15, peaking late May (clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Fall flow: Sep 1 to Sep 15 (clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, dandelion)
- Season ends: Oct 15
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Shell Lake, 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 19.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, clovers: white, alsike and red, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): clovers: white, alsike and red, soybeans, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden), summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, soybeans, garden flowers; extra light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion, summer-flowering trees (locust, linden); 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
- Soybeans: about 9 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.4 mi NW, blooms early Jul – early Sep (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Corn: about 84 acres in a typical year, nearest 1.4 mi NW, blooms late Jul – late Aug (grown 4 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 Shell Lake
Mostly: Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest; Open water; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.02 mi W; pond, lake or river 0.04 mi S.
How Shell Lake ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 20th | 39th | 45th | 51st |
| Wisconsin | 2nd | 18th | 3rd | 32nd |
| North Central Hardwood Forests | 1st | 25th | 2nd | 10th |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 38% 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 Shell Lake: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Spooner 7 mi · Barronett 7 mi · Haugen 10 mi · Trego 13 mi · Cumberland 14 mi · Birchwood 18 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 Shell Lake (45.7264, -91.91); 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.