Mike,
We have had some trout, rainbows, browns, and/or tigers year round for the last 10 years. Our cool water pond has sustaining populations of LMB, BG, GSF, YP, and a few other species that do not reproduce.

We get complete ice cover every winter for 1 to 3 months. We run an aerator in shallow water when necessary to keep a hole open.

I've tried throwing feed when there is ice on the pond. I have gotten no takers on the surface. The trout feed voraciously throughout the rest of the year. I've tried feeding at all times of the day and at all light levels. Nada.

This surprises me, as I really thought the rainbows at the least would come to the opening and sip some pellets.

The pond has no deep water refuge so perhaps the aeration is completely mixing the water, and everybody is cold. This past week I've shut off the aerator allowing the pond to freeze over. We've had some warm days, so ice on the north shoreline is melting out several feet. I'm hoping to get some thermal stratification going.

Many times I've tried ice fishing without catching a single fish. I'm thinking that the entire water column is an even temp, probably close to 32 degrees, and that is contributing to the lack of interest from even the cool water perch and the cold water trout.

I'll be following your reports of your experiences.