Overwintering Lotus outdoors in zone 5

Hi everyone! I'm a newbie here, I've been reading here since yesterday a decided to annoy everyone with my many questions :oP
So here it goes...
I started a pond this year and added a Lotus, Mrs. Perry Slocum, I'd like to overwinter it outdoors and was wondering if anyone had any tips or tricks that could help.
I'm in zone 5a, in Quebec, about an hour to the Vermont border. We do get -25 to -30 temps for weeks at a time during some winters.

Well, I'm no expert but the tubers can't freeze on the plants or they won't live. How deep is your pond. Does it freeze all the way down? In the big ponds and lakes where they grow, the water might freeze on the top but the bottom where the lotus tubers are not frozen and the lotus goes dormant for the winter. When it thaws on top they start pulling out the tubers and collecting them to sell. So even though there is ice on top, the lotus was protected under neath. I was told several years ago that you could take water lilies and clip the green off at the bulb or tuber and put them in a plastic bag, seal it and place in the lettuce crisper of the refrigerator for the winter. I've never done lotus this way and I'm in zone 7 so mine do ok in the deeper part of the pond. You could put yours in deeper if you have a deeper section, and bring them up in the spring. You just have to protect them from freezing the tubers.

I don't know if it freezes to the bottom yet because this is my first year. My pond is only 1200 gallons ans slightly raised but has good soil insulation all around.
I have 5 koi and 2 comets plus some offspring so I hope it doesn't. I'm going to put in an aerator in the fall to keep a whole open and the person that owns our local pond store says he keep a 100 watt bulb in the box that covers the air pump so it pumps in warm air. Don't know if this is going to work so time will tell.

I also have baby lotus that have sprouted from seeds I purchased, they are at the 4 pad stage so by the fall I may need to bring them in and growing so they can devalope tubers. Anyone know what sort of light wattage they will need to do well?

Your pond looks fantastic-way to go newbie! I also live in zone 5a and am new to lotus'. I did a ton of research and found that answer difficult to come by. I do know someone who has lotus' in his pond in the same zone and he keeps them at the bottom during winter (3.5' deep). He keeps his hole in the pond with a de-icer. In Spring, he brings the lotus pot back up from the bottom to the 12-18 inches depth.

I have my lotus in a separate bog that is filled with clay and cotton burr compost. It is about 4 feet deep but the lotus tubers are on top on the dirt right now. I have to drain some of the water out, dig a deeper hole and put a tuber in there and slowly as the leaves grow upwards I will add water on top (as well as dirt on the lotus). It will be my experiment this year.

BTW: If your lotus dies over winter keep in mind that Texas Water Lilies does a great co-op here at Daves in the springtime. The prices and plants are fantastic!

Your pond is very pretty!! Looks as tho you spent alot of attention to details and many hours well worth it :) Is that a little Yorkie I spot standing at the edge of your pond looking down? I have had Yorkies all my life, my oldest one followed the large dog into the pond! She just started swimming and following, I frantically called her, but she just kept on going until she realized that SHE WAS IN THE POND!! She hurried up and turned around and started swimming back, justa snorting and coughing all the way back, I was so scared she drown :(

All dogs swim (even cats)! . . . funny how we tend to baby the wee ones as if they were children. I have caught myself doing just that to my little puppy-my husband laughs at me and reminds me he is a terrier and tougher than nails . . . He's right!