I used to have a solid winter cover that kept the pool clean over the winter but it was a pain to have to pump it off several times throughout the winter. And inevitably, when removing it we would end up accidentally dumping dirty water into the pool. So, I thought I wanted a mesh cover which would allow the water to go through it and I wouldn't have to pump it off, but I found that mesh covers also allow a lot of dirt in. So, the past few years, I just haven't bothered with covering my pool.
I have lots of trees so spend the fall scooping out leaves, but once the trees are bare, the pool stays pretty clean. Our fall temps are pretty warm so I leave the pump on until about November and that way I can continue to circulate and add bleach if I need to. But when the night time temps go to freezing, the pump comes off, I shock the pool and adjust the pH a little on the high side of normal and that's it. (Some years I add a double dose of Polyquat 60% algaecide, but not always.) I go out and take a peek at the pool throughout the winter but never have to do anything to it. I do hook up my equipment fairly early in the spring as the weather around here gots hot pretty quick and I don't want a springtime algae bloom.
Hope this helps.
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