Birdseye Woman Arrested After Indiana DNR Probe Finds Paddlefish at Patoka Lake

Indiana Conservation Officers say they arrested 45-year-old Crystal Sheets of Birdseye after an investigation into reports that paddlefish were unlawfully snagged at the Patoka Lake spillway on Monday, Feb. 16, at about 5 p.m. Officers received information about unlawful paddlefish taking at the Patoka Lake spillway in Dubois County and say the probe led them to a residence in another county.

WTHR reported, "The investigation led to a home in Crawford County, Indiana, where 45-year-old Crystal Sheets, of Birdseye, was found to have paddlefish and was in violation of a protective order." Media accounts say officers located Sheets at a Crawford County residence and determined she was in possession of paddlefish recovered during the inquiry; sources differ on whether reporting referenced a single paddlefish or paddlefish in the plural.

Witzamfm and a syndicated post on Wwbl reported, "She was subsequently taken into custody for violating the protective order and charged with misdemeanor unlawful possession of paddlefish." Separately, WTHR says the DuBois County Prosecutor's Office charged Sheets with illegal taking of a wild animal. News outlets vary in the precise legal phrasing used; all accounts agree that Sheets was taken into custody for violating a protective order in connection with the investigation.

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources provided the biological and legal context cited by multiple outlets. The DNR statement said, "The paddlefish is an ancient, native fish to Indiana that has a diminishing population. It is illegal for sport fishermen to take paddlefish and only legal on the Ohio River with a roe harvester’s license." The DNR language underscores that sport fishing for paddlefish is prohibited in Indiana waters except under specific Ohio River roe-harvesting authorization.

Reports do not describe how investigators tied activity at the Patoka Lake spillway to the Crawford County residence, nor do they provide a chain-of-custody for the seized fish. WTHR noted Patoka Lake is in southern Indiana and placed Dubois County about 130 miles southwest of downtown Indianapolis for geographic context. News reports published so far did not include a court date, case number, bond information, or booking location for Sheets.

Local officials named in coverage include Indiana Conservation Officers and, according to WTHR, the DuBois County Prosecutor's Office as the charging authority. Prosecutorial filings and arrest records were not released in the stories reviewed; further official records would be required to confirm the exact statutory citation and the number or disposition of any paddlefish seized.