GSStage2,
I live just east of you (Fenton MI) have similar pond conditions as yours. Mine is about 12 ft. deep when full and right now is at about 10 ft. due to lack of rain. I turn my aerators off in november and then leave them off until sometime in the spring. The kids and I play hockey on it in the winter so open water is not a good thing. The first two years I was able to shovel the snow off 90% of it almost all year long. I had no fish kills those years. Last year we had some 12" snows that were wet very early in the year and I had a hard time ever getting it clear again. I think I had 2 bass and 5 catfish dead in the spring. The key is getting the snow off 50% of the pond and keeping it off. Lots of work, but if you like skating it may be worth it.

Its not how well you do something,
Its how well you look doing it!