Assawompset Pond is a reservoir/pond within the towns of Lakeville and Middleboro, in southeastern Massachusetts. It shares its waters with Long Pond and is openly connected with Pocksha Pond.USGS Quadrangle Map These lakes provide a source of drinking water to the city of

New Bedford New Bedford (Massachusett: ) is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast region. Up through the 17th century, the area was the territory of the Wampanoag Native American pe ...

, the largest city in southeastern Massachusetts. At almost , it is the largest natural lake in Massachusetts. It is known in Wampanoag as ''Place of the White Stones'' and is host for the largest alewife (

herring Herring are forage fish, mostly belonging to the family of Clupeidae. Herring often move in large schools around fishing banks and near the coast, found particularly in shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans, i ...

) run in the eastern seaboard. In the early spring the

Nemasket River The Nemasket or Namasket River is a small river in southeastern Massachusetts. It flows north U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 from Assawompset Pond in Lake ...

runs black with fish heading for the spawning grounds. The area known as ''Betty's Neck'' was one of the summer encampments for Native Americans who would traverse the

Taunton River The Taunton River (historically also called the "Taunton Great River"), is a river in southeastern Massachusetts in the United States. It arises from the confluence of the Town River and Matfield River, in the town of Bridgewater. From the ...

and

to enter the pond. The Nemasket, being known as ''Where the fish are'', explains the significance as a food source. King Philip's War began with the discovery of John Sassamon's body and the subsequent trial of his suspected murderers. His body was slipped under the ice on Assawompset Pond and found the following spring. The outcome of the trial sparked the beginning of hostilities. The pond was dammed in 1894 at the Nemasket River, which raised the water level about . File:Lakeville Assawomsett.jpg, Assawomsett Pond in Lakeville

References

Taunton River watershed Bodies of water of Plymouth County, Massachusetts Lakeville, Massachusetts Middleborough, Massachusetts Ponds of Massachusetts Reservoirs in Massachusetts Wampanoag tribe {{PlymouthCountyMA-geo-stub