Freshness is the guiding principle at Peterson’s Fish Market. The three women behind the family-run restaurant and store in Hancock, Michigan take pride in serving Lake Superior whitefish that's as fresh as it gets.
“If you ever have fish or whitefish or anything and it tastes fishy, it's old,” said Pat Peterson, one of the owners. “Same with smelling it. Usually smell it and you can smell that it's not fresh.”
Pat, along with her daughters‑in‑law Tammie and Tammi, run the business with a focus on tradition, quality, and respect for the lake that surrounds them.
They sat down with The Dish to talk about building a place that catches, fillets, smokes, and serves fresh whitefish, salmon, and lake trout — and how community support grew after some early hesitation.
How it got started
Pat married into a fishing family. Her husband comes from at least five generations of commercial fishermen in northern Wisconsin.
“The entire Peterson family is in fishing,” she said. “Uncles and cousins, the name became synonymous with it.”
Regulars even call her “Gramma Pat,” a title she embraces as the matriarch of the operation.
“It’s beautiful going out on the water in the mornings when the sun’s coming up,” she said. “It’s real peaceful.”
Pat and her husband are members of the Red Cliff Band of Superior Chippewa in Wisconsin. There was a long legal battle over what the Chippewa could do on Lake Superior. A 1970s ruling affirmed the community’s right to fish on the lake.
They opened Peterson’s Fish Market more than 30 years ago, starting with a tiny building and “nothing,” Pat said. Cutting out the middleman meant they could serve fish at peak freshness.
Early backlash
The public’s embrace of Peterson’s Fish Market wasn’t immediate.
“When we first came here, they didn’t want us,” Pat said. “People said, ‘This is our lake, our fish. You don’t belong here.’”
Over time, the community learned more about treaty rights — and saw how hard the Petersons worked.
More than three decades later, locals “have grown to love” the market, Pat said. That support helped them open Four Suns Fish & Chips, a seasonal restaurant next door. Most of the 27 people who work across both places are family or longtime friends.
“Our local people around here, they're so good to us,” Tammie said. “They're so supportive"
Locals and visitors make the trip for fried whitefish, smoked fish chowder, and other homemade dishes at Four Suns Fish & Chips.
Working on the lake
The Petersons fish just a couple miles offshore. On a good day, they can bring in around a thousand pounds — and they sell nearly every bit of it.
They work closely with biologists to monitor the fish population. The only break comes in November, when whitefish are spawning.
“When it’s 20 below and windy and frozen, they’re out there fishing,” Tammi said. “It’s not a fun job. It’s hard.”
But that work fuels their most popular dishes: fried whitefish, baked whitefish, and a parmesan‑crusted version that regulars love.
Growing popularity
In the kitchen, Tammi moves between baskets of fish and fries, knowing exactly when each piece is done just by looking at it. Regulars come nearly every day.
Everything is homemade, including the tartar sauce, salsa, and smoked fish chowder.
The restaurant is cash‑only and carry‑out, but customers can sit inside or outside to enjoy their meal. And plenty of people order from far away.
“I have a doctor in Chicago who orders every month,” Pat said. “He’ll get 30 filets of whitefish and keep them in his freezer.”
Community embrace
Ask the Petersons their favorite part of the job, and they answer in unison: “The people.”
Tammi gets emotional watching customers gather at picnic tables, taking photos of their food and greeting one another.
The lake has given the Petersons their livelihood, and they’ve learned to respect it.
“You have to persevere through rough times,” Pat said. “If you get 1,000 pounds, you’re good. If you get 300 pounds, that’s good too. You just respect the water.”
