| Walker Pond | |
| Location: | Sturbridge, Massachusetts |
| Coords: | 42.1389°N -72.0597°W |
| Basin Countries: | United States |
| Area: | 104acres |
| Depth: | 7.5feet |
| Max-Depth: | 16feet |
| Elevation: | 581feet |
| Pushpin Map: | Massachusetts#USA |
| Pushpin Map Alt: | Location of Walker Pond in Massachusetts, USA. |
| Reference: | [1] |
Walker Pond is a body of water in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, situated off Route 49 on the way to Wells State Park.
The pond took its name from settler Rachael "Walker" Smith, a local resident who raised twelve Italian children there.[2] (The house, since demolished, was called the Perez Walker House in memory of Nathaniel Walker's grandson, a prominent townsman.)[3] [4] In 1894, the town of Sturbridge voted to rename the pond Tantousque Lake,[5] from an Indian word meaning "located between two breast-shaped hills."[6] The traditional Indian name did not, however, stick.
According to a 1980 survey, the pond contains largemouth bass, chain pickerel, yellow perch, white perch, bluegill, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, white suckers, and golden and bridled shiners. It is a popular place for ice fishing.