Pond cleaning and timing etc

I usually clean out my pond around the end of March though this year was at the end of January.
The pond weed is Cambomba and Eloldea. To clean the pond I generally take out all the weed and then 'dredge' the bottom with a net to get out most of the gunk, leaves etc. leaving the goldfish in situ. I then sort the weed (there is SO much!) and make bunches of the best stuff, weight with lead strips and put back in. I was wondering if I did this relatively soon (November?) it would be OK and one less thing to do in the spring.
The pond plants I can do in the spring as they sit on a ledge and can be done anytime. Just wondering what others do?

 

Dug my pond in 1989, not cleaned it out yet, maybe I'm missing something but everything seems ok, I lose about 2 fish a year on average and just remove weed if it becomes congested.

 

I was admiring your pond @madpenguin , and wondered how you found the solar fountain? I have one that looks identical but it has barely worked. Do you find it is ok in autumn or winter or when the sun is weak?

My pond is so small and shallow that I don't do anything to it because the plants die off in winter anyway and I start again with new plants in the next season usually.