Bill gave me the same advice some time ago, prior to stocking my trout. Snow removal does work.I do not aerate during ice cover, around 200 days of it for me. I did have problems during a summer heat wave where I noticed trout near surface gasping. I installed bottom aeration shortly after that and didn't lose any fish. I think the design of my pond helped keep temps from getting too high, it's similar in size to yours, but with steep sides (excavated with large track hoe)and not much for shallow areas. I found that operating the aerator only when air temps were lower than water temps helped. I ran for about 8 hours at night or on cold cloudy days.
If you don't have power at the pond you can run airline hundreds of feet from the power source. Search the aeration topics for suggestions. I used a very small compressor 300 feet away and it worked well for my small pond during summer.
I assume you are familiar with ice conditions and safety, but it's still worth mentioning. Although I have driven vehicles on 10" of good ice, I have also seen people drop through 24" of bad or rotten ice on foot. Deep snow cover can insulate and prevent a good freeze, please be careful when clearing snow off your pond, we want you back here to report your successes.
I would also keep fish numbers on the low side to reduce b.o.d. and stop feeding when the pond is ice covered, especially without aeration.
Oh, and for Theo, air temps were 20f this morning, the fish eating birds are starting to migrate south and Santa is just about to the "G"'s. You still have time to make the good list.
" I started with nothing and still have most of it left"
