Rare is the Minnesota northern pike that exceeds 15 pounds these days, the result, over time, of too much overharvesting of this apex predator. But Rainy Lake, sprawled along the state's northern border with Ontario, has northerns this size and bigger. This summer, in fact, the luckiest will hook northerns perhaps as large as 25 pounds. If a huge northern is on your bucket list, best to hire a guide. And be prepared to purchase an Ontario license, as well as Minnesota's. rainylake.org