Members of the Thill family work on processing fish in the back of the store along the Marquette waterfront, both whitefish caught by the business and other fresh fish shipped in. (Photo courtesy Thill and Sons Fish House Facebook page)

MARQUETTE — Fresh fish is only a short car trip away for people in Marquette County. And if you’re close to downtown Marquette, make that a short walk.

As is only fitting, Thill and Sons Fish House is located right on the shores of Lake Superior in Marquette’s Lower Harbor, tucked in at the end of Main Street, which runs one block south of one of the city’s actual “main” drags, Washington Street.

The location is more than just an ironic site for a fish-selling business.

“We dock the (company boat) Linda Lee right out back,” said Adam Thill, who co-owns the business with his brother Dan Thill.

That boat is docked between the Ellwood Mattson Lower Harbor Park and the empty hulk of the Lower Harbor Ore Dock, now a historical landmark.

Though in a business dependent on the whims of Mother Nature — especially out on the “big lake,” Lake Superior — scheduling fishing excursions is an iffy proposition, Adam Thill estimates the Linda Lee gets out on the lake, on average, about every other day during the active season.

Thill’s is an entirely family-owned and -run business, with Dan Thill the captain of the Linda Lee and Adam spending most of his time running the onshore business.

“We are NOT a restaurant, we are a RETAIL store,” Thill’s Facebook page notes in its introduction, since in this day and age, “fish house” would be a name a restaurant would love to use to lend an air of authenticity to its menu.

While Thill’s is only licensed to commercially catch whitefish — and only within 50 miles of the Marquette harbor — Thill’s sells up to seven varieties of fresh fish, along with seafood and spreads made on-site.

“We also supply fish to a lot of restaurants in this area,” Adam Thill said.

Thill’s also makes smoked fish.

“Applewood is probably the preferred wood to smoke with, but sometimes we’ll use something like cherry,” Adam Thill said.

Year-round hours are 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays, with the store closed on Sundays and holidays.

Its Facebook page also shows some Thill and Sons Fish House clothing merchandise for sale, such as hoodies.

Because of the perishable nature of fresh fish, Thill’s doesn’t ship fish or take orders online, though Adam Thill will take phone orders at 906-226-9851.

But the best way is to stop by the store.

That way you can walk in, take in the aromas surrounding fresh fish, and even peek in at the backroom, where family members work gutting and filleting fish along with preparing other fish-related items.

Not surprisingly, the freshly-caught whitefish is easily the most popular store item.

“We sell that about 10-to-1 to everything else in the case,” said Ted Thill, Adam and Dan’s father and now retired owner of the Thill’s.

He said that about 10 years ago, but Adam agreed it’s still true.

“It’s just a popular fish … nice, mild flavor,” Ted Thill said. “It’s a nice fish to eat.”

Starting in the fishing business in 1946, the business opened in Marquette in 1961 when Ted Thill’s father and Adam and Dan Thill’s grandfather, the late Francis Thill, moved to the area after having lived at the tip of the Garden Peninsula in eastern Delta County, then moving to another Lake Superior port.

“He was a fisherman before that,” Ted Thill said about his father’s avocation before coming to Marquette. “He came from Fairport to Munising, and then Munising to Marquette. He opened the fish house retail store when people kept walking to the back door looking for fish.”

For three decades, Francis’ sons, Ted, Ron and Jerry, ran the business before Ted Thill became sole owner.

And now it’s moved onto the next generation.

“Our kids help out now, too,” Adam Thill said. “Dan’s sons Dylan and Austin work full time now, while my sons are just getting to the age where they can work part time.”

Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.