INDIANA — The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has officially announced the winners of the 2025 Fish of the Year program, and a local dentist from Linton has reeled in a historic performance.
Steven Kellett poses with a FOTY-winning channel catfish. Photo provided by DNR.
Steven Kellett has set a new statewide record by securing 17 winning catches in a single year, surpassing the previous record of 15 set by Liu He of West Lafayette in 2022. The program, which recognizes anglers who land the longest fish of each species tracked by the DNR, highlighted Kellett’s versatility across Indiana’s diverse waterways.
The record-breaking season was a shared milestone for the Kellett family. Steven’s 9-year-old son, Landon, proved the apple doesn’t fall far from the reel, notching five winning catches of his own.
For the elder Kellett, the accolades are secondary to the memories made outdoors.
“Spending father/son time away from the everyday stresses of life means everything to me,” Kellett said.
The Winning Catches
The Kelletts’ names appeared across the leaderboard for species ranging from massive river hunters to small creek dwellers. Steven’s haul was particularly noted for its variety, spanning game fish like trout and catfish to rarer species like the skipjack herring.
Steven Kellett’s 2025 Winning Species
| Species | Length | Location |
| Channel Catfish | 25.5 inches | Goose Pond FWA |
| Saugeye | 22.25 inches | Whitewater River |
| Brown Trout | 21.5 inches | Private Lake (Greene Co.) |
| Spotted Gar | 26.5 inches | Big Branch Creek |
| Smallmouth Buffalo | 24.0 inches | Otter Creek |
| Skipjack Herring | 15.5 inches | Lattas Creek |
| Warmouth | 9.0 inches | Strip Pit (Greene Co.) |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 10.25 inches | Strip Pit (Greene Co.) |
| Northern Hogsucker | 13.0 inches | Sugar Creek |
| Golden Shiner | 10.5 inches | Airline Lake |
| Fantail Darter | 2.4 inches | McCormick’s Creek |
| Mottled Sculpin | 3.3 inches | McCormick’s Creek |
| Orangethroat Darter | 2.25 inches | McCormick’s Creek |
| Rainbow Darter | 2.7 inches | McCormick’s Creek |
| Sand Shiner | 2.6 inches | Otter Creek |
| Spotfin Shiner | 3.8 inches | Sugar Creek |
| Blackstripe Topminnow | 2.0 inches | Airline Lake |
Landon Kellett’s 2025 Winning Species
The younger Kellett made a massive splash of his own, notably landing a heavy-hitting Buffalo in the Wabash River.
- Black Buffalo: 28.0 inches (Wabash River)
- Shorthead Redhorse: 18.5 inches (Tippecanoe River)
- Bluntnose Minnow: 3.5 inches (Otter Creek)
- Emerald Shiner: 3.0 inches (Big Raccoon Creek)
- Blackstripe Topminnow: 2.0 inches (Airline Lake)
The Indiana DNR Fish of the Year program continues to grow in popularity, with the 2025 season seeing a record number of entries from anglers across the Hoosier state.
