Steinhude is a village in the borough of Wunstorf in Hanover Region in the German state of Lower Saxony.

The small settlement lived by farming the land and fishing and, in the 17th century, became a market town.

Administratively, Steinhude belonged to the Amt of Hagenburg and was ruled by the counts of Schaumburg.

In the period 1761–1767, Count William I of Schaumburg-Lippe had the fort of Wilhelmstein built on an artificial island in the lake.

An influx of refugees after the Second World War, the increase in tourism, and a modest upturn in the economy led to significant growth in the size of the place.

The Schaumburg municipality of Steinhude was incorporated into the borough of Wunstorf in the district of Hanover as part of the regional reform of 1974.

The silver nettle leaf on a red shield was used by the counts of Schaumburg in their coat-of-arms beginning in the 12th century.

The artificial island built in 1974–75 and known as the Steinhude swimming island (Badeinsel Steinhude) has an area of 35,000 square metres (8.6 acres) and has a flat sandy beach, special areas for sunbathing, relaxing and two sports fields.

High points in the calendar are Fischerkreidag on the weekend after Ascension, the shooting festival (Schützenfest) in July and the festive weekend in August with a half-hour firework display over the lake and an illuminated boat pageant, Lake Steinhude in Flames (Steinhuder Meer in Flammen).