I heard the walleye and steelhead compete for the same food… is this true, and are they hurting eachother?

Although the walleye and steelhead trout maintain a similar diet, the main components vary between the two fish. That is sufficient reason to believe that there is no harm being brought on either fish as a result of the other one being hungry. Walleye favor a changing diet from invertebrates to small fish. Changes that affect what a walleye wants to see on the menu include water depth levels and time of year. At the beginning of the year, typically around spawning season, walleye favor a meal of copepods, crustaceans and other small fish. In this respect, their diet virtually mirrors that of the steelhead. As far as other fish selections are concerned, walleye prefer yellow perch or similar forage fish varieties. Once spawning season ends, walleye turn their attention to larval or adult mayflies as a food source. When these options are not readily available, snails, crayfish, frogs and other insects are sought after. Now for the diet of steelhead trout which are more predatory in nature. These fish prefer to eat smaller fish first before seeking out the smaller insect or larvae selections. A majority of the steelhead diet is insects. It does not matter the shape, size or variety. All that really matters is having some available when the need for a meal arises. Outside of these, steelhead trout seek out crayfish and crustaceans as well. The trout reside towards the top of the food chain list. However there are a few other guys in the way first such as brown trout or lake trout. For the most part, steelhead trout prefer sticking to a diet of insects whenever possible. So you see, while the two fish do prefer small crustaceans, crayfish and insects, their primary tastes are different. Walleye go after the crayfish first where the steelhead prefer the insects. It appears the two fish have found a way to coexist in the water world.