How the fish boil became a Door County tradition

FISH CREEK, Wis. (WBAY) - For generations, fish boils have been a staple of Door County culture, bringing visitors together over food, fire, and tradition.

At the White Gull Inn in Fish Creek, that tradition is still going strong year-round.

In Door County, the fish boil is more than dinner; it's part of the area's identity.

At the inn, guests gather around the kettle to watch a tradition that's been passed down for generations.

"The Door County fish boils really started probably back around the 1600s when the settlers and the pilgrims were together. It became more of a tradition in Door County in about the mid to late 1800s when there were more Scandinavian settlers coming into the area. And then the lumber camps really started to grow, and there was a demand for some of the construction products that were being put out at the time. So as those camps grew, it became a great way to feed a lot of the local lumberjacks and the lumberjacks," says Colin McCarville, the boil master at White Gull Inn.

The White Gull Inn started serving fish boils in 1959 and today remains the only restaurant in Door County offering the experience year-round.

McCarville prepares Lake Michigan whitefish, potatoes, coleslaw, and cherry pie with ice cream for guests, but many say it's the tradition that keeps them coming back.

"When my brother and sister-in-law moved here from Michigan, we went to our first one probably 15 years ago. And almost every year we're trying to make it here," says one customer.

Before the meal is served, visitors gather outside as the boil master explains the history behind the practice and prepares the fish over an open flame, turning dinner into both a history lesson and a performance.

"People have been coming here since they were kids, and they're bringing their kids and grandkids, so that's a real cool feeling," says McCarville.

For some visitors, one fish boil during their trip simply isn't enough.

"We came some years ago, but my daughter-in-law planned a weekend with the family. And so, we came up and had the fish boil on Saturday night. But we liked it so much when the kids went back home, we came back tonight to have it a second time before we left," says Larry Foyt, a MacFarlene resident.

You can find out when the White Gull Inn holds its fish boils on their website.