Walker Pond is a body of water in Sturbridge

Sturbridge, Massachusetts

Sturbridge is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It is home to Old Sturbridge Village living history museum and other sites of historical interest such as Tantiusques.The population was 9,268 at the 2010 census...

, Massachusetts

Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...

, situated off Route 49 on the way to Wells State Park

Wells State Park (Massachusetts)

Wells State Park, is a state park located in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. The park, managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, features a campground, swimming beach, trails, and picnic areas. Wells State Park is located off Massachusetts Route 49...

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History

The pond took its name from settler Rachael "Walker" Smith, a local resident who raised twelve italian children there. (The house, since demolished, was called the Perez Walker House in memory of Nathaniel Walker's grandson, a prominent townsman.) In 1894, the town of Sturbridge voted to rename the pond Tantousque Lake, from an Indian word meaning "located between two breast-shaped hills." The traditional Indian name did not, however, stick.

Fishing

According to a 1980 survey, the pond contains largemouth bass, chain pickerell, yellow perch, white perch, bluegill, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, white suckers, and golden and bridled shiners. It is a popular place for ice fishing.