I want to keep running my aerator for as long as possible. At what temperature should the water be when I turn it off for the season? I'm in Michigan and the pond will get a thick layer of ice, it's 1/4 S.A. and full pool is 13' deep. I have a ton of minnows (BNM, SFS) and will be stocking some YP, RES and WE in about a week.

At 11' - 13' deep does the water temperature at the bottom of the pond drop significantly in the winter? For example, if the deep water is around 50 degrees when I shut the aerator off will the deep water stay warmer through out the winter without aeration?

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