Lowering water for winter

Here I go again...No pond yeat...building one in spring...

When designing a pond...should I calculate how low to lower the water for
the winter so that the ice does not damage the skimmer.

Example: top of pond water to match skimmer for summer use...during winter
lower water to clear skimmer and return water jets. Plug jets to keep water
from entering and damaging pipes. Slope on top side of pond-straight or
angled for ice expansion.

Rich