How far north are you? Different areas have different requirements. I'm in northeastern Oklahoma, where we have many warm days during the winter along with the cold. My pond didn't even get a crust of ice around the edges this past winter.

As Nancy asked, what zone are you in? Here in 4 I use a tank heater and 3/4's cover my pond to ease the below zero temps and windchills we get. I'd be happy to give you details if needed :)

I am in zone 6 and have had good luck overwintering in KY. I cut the tops off of the cattails and drop them in to the deep part (remove them from the shelf). I then put them back on the shelf in the spring. I accidentally left the horsetails and a palm on the shelf and they overwintered great!

The pond freezes over, except where the waterfall enteres the pond. The waterfall has yet to freeze over, and we've had weather in the teens.

Good luck!

I am in Missouri. I need all the details I can get.

In Missouri, you'll almost certainly need a de-icer to keep a hole open in the ice for gas exchange during periods of freezing weather. Cut the dead foliage off your hardy plants and sink them to the bottom of the pond so their roots won't freeze. Tropicals, like umbrella palm and taro, can be brought indoors for the winter.

If the water should completely freeze over, don't hit it with anything -- just pour warm water on a spot until it melts a hole in the ice. The shock wave of breaking the ice forcibly may injure of kill the fish.

As the water starts cooling down, start feeding your koi a low protein diet if you are not already doing so, preferably a wheat germ based food that digests easily. Nothing with corn, as it does not digest well.

There are currently two schools of thought regarding the feeding or not feeding koi through the winter. A long standing practice is not to feed at all after the water reaches 50 degrees F, but there are some new thoughts about that by some koi breeders who do feed very lightly in periods of warmer weather and claim that their koi come out of winter in a condition that is not as weakened as not feeding at all. My fish are generally not interested in food under 50 degrees.

I'm in West Virginia...When I first started I had 100 gallon hard plastic liner...water was around 11" deep..I had a Koi live in it 3-4 years...and goldfish...never lost one...Last year I made the bigger pond...24" deep at the time...and I let the waterfall run all winter..never lost a fish...hope this helps...also...when I had the little pond I was worried about my fish because I couldn't see them..I used the warm water to make a hole one time...I bet they only had about 4-5" of water left from all the ice lol..but they made it.....Dave

Thank you for all of the hints. I have heard of floating a couple tennis balls to help keep the pond from freezing. I would like to keep the waterfall running..my only fear is having the pump freeze and break.

My pump is located in the water. As long as it is below the freezing line - you should be fine. Just make sure the outgoing line to the waterfall is well insulated. If it is cold enough - it may freeze solid and burn the pump motor.

Just occasionally check for dams and for ice being supported without water in the pond. The pond will freeze over - except where the water fall is - and you will notice the water level drop due to evaporation. You may have to add some water during the winter.

Thank you again. Here is a pic of my pond. My hycenith have multiplied. How would you advise taking care of these plants during the winter?

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Water hyacinth are tropicals and are very difficult to bring through the winter, even indoors. Some people have put them in aquariums with a good bright aquarium light, but I never go to the trouble. I'd just buy a few new ones next year. They're not that expensive, and multiply like crazy, so one or two plants will completely cover a pond in a short time.

You have a very pretty pond, by the way. When I answered above about the hyacinth, the picture didn't load, so I didn't get to see it. I see you've planted a "spike" between the blue salvia (?). I have about a dozen of those around my pond, and I love the way they look. I don't know how winter hardy they are, though, so I dig them up every winter, put them in a flower pot, and bring them indoors. They do extremely well inside, and then I replant them beside the pond again in the spring.

Above zone 8 or 9 water Hyacinth and Lettuce should be considered annuals. They are expensive here in MN so I try to check the plant exchange here on the forum in May or June. Many folks down south are composting them by that time!
Your pickeral should over winter just fine where they are, or you can cut off the dead foliage and sink them to the bottom to be sure.

Nice Pond!!

Spikes such as every one likes to put in containers with begonias and geraniums are actually Dracena. Dracena is fairly easy to grow and nurseries love it when they are tossed at the end of the growing season. The so called Lucky Bamboo is also a Dracena, just a different variety. Just dig it up and rinse of the dirt to avoid any hitchhikers and pot them for houseplants.
You would need a lot of tennis balls to keep a hole in the ice. If you did use them they should be corralled together. A large inflatable pillow would do the same thing which is to protect the sides of a pool from damage by the sideways pressure of the ice. It gets wedged in pretty tight so it wouldn't be of use for gas exchange. There are plans for a homemade deicer if you do a search. It is what I use. Sandy

You can buy reasonablely priced deicers from Bestnest or eBay. Here's an eBay link. Scroll down below the three featured items for many more.

Here is a link that might be useful: eBay deicers

Thank you for all of the help. Does anyone have favorites on the deicers? Thank you for the compliments also...my first pond!

In regards to your fish you can leave them in the pond. Although do make sure that there is something keeping a hole open in the ice and the water moving. I have heard that if you have, for example, a stream with your pond, this should be enough to keep a hole open in the ice. The reason there needs to be a hole in the ice is to provide oxygen and allow gasses from the dying plants to leave the pond. Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: fish in the winter

I spent part of my youth on farms in Northern Missouri back before electricity came to remote farms.

Some farmers tossed gold fish and wild carp in their cow tanks.

Usually the cows would break the skim of ice. The farmer sometimes had to chop a whole in the ice for the cows. Beyond that I don't recall them doing anything else.