Wow thanks Ted !! A lot to digest there.

Trials does your pond lose water during winter (have much runoff/overflow) ? How much ice do you get and for how long ?

I would lean toward moving the aerator to shallow water less than 3 feet and at a place where it would encourage water to move toward the pond overflow. Maybe you can keep the shallow part moving and wash out any DW that may float up. Plus you can keep the pond open and watch for DW. You may want to turn the aerator setting (volume) down or even off to avoid deep water cooling if that starts.