On June 22, 2010, the dam and the generating station were renamed in honour of Jean Lesage, who was premier of Quebec during the construction of the complex.

The dam is considered run-of-the-river and is fitted with eight Francis turbines, with a total capacity of 1,145 megawatts (1,535,000 hp).

From June 2 to December 8, 1962, diversion tunnels were driven through the mountain to divert the river's flow around the construction site.

The cofferdam that forced the water to use the diversion tunnels was completed on July 30, 1963, construction of the dam started the day after.

The 90-minute visit consists of a guided tour by Hydro-Quebec which lets the visitor enter cavities of the dam and see a turbine in action within the powerhouse.