Paddlefish case highlights loss of unique species

Indiana Conservation Officers recently charged a Crawford County resident with illegally taking a paddlefish in Dubois County.

The Department of Natural Resources issued a statement regarding the poaching incident and urged residents to report these activities.

According to authorities, conservation officers received a complaint of someone illegally taking a paddlefish, a rare and protected species, from the Patoka Lake spillway. The investigation led to a residence in Crawford County, where the poacher, Crystal Sheets, 45, was found to be in unlawful possession of a paddlefish and in violation of the fish’s protective order. Sheets was subsequently taken into custody for violating the protective order and also charged with misdemeanor unlawful possession of paddlefish.

The American paddlefish is a protected, rare native fish in Indiana with a declining population. Part of an ancient family of freshwater fishes, it is the only remaining species of that family.

There were originally two surviving species: the American paddlefish and the Chinese paddlefish (Psephurus gladius), last found in the Yangtze Valley in China. However, the Chinese paddlefish was officially declared extinct in 2020.

This means the American paddlefish is the last remaining species of its kind, and it must be protected, officials said.

Thank you to the conservation officers and to the individual who reported the poacher for protecting our natural resources, said DNR on Facebook.

If you come across someone poaching or polluting, please consider anonymously reporting them through the Turn in a Poacher TIP line here: tip.IN.gov

To make sure you’re fishing ethically and legally, please review our 2026-2027 Fishing Regulations Guide here: www.eregulations.com/indiana/fishing