The Steinhuder Meer or Lake Steinhude is a lake in Lower Saxony, Germany located 30 kilometres (19 mi) northwest of Hanover. It is named after the nearby village of Steinhude. It has an area of about 30 square kilometres (12 sq mi), making it the largest lake of northwestern Germany, but it is very shallow, with an average depth of only 1.35 metres (4.4 ft) and a maximum depth of less than 3 metres (9.8 ft).