The lake is located just to the south of the Gatineau River, and just west of the Ottawa River, and is linked to both of them with flowing in from the Gatineau and exiting to the Ottawa.

To the south is the Lac de la Carrière, a former quarry that is now a lake that is also linked.

The beach on the lakeshore became a popular swimming location, however there were persistent problems with pollution, mainly flowing in from the Gatineau River.

By the 1990s the Gatineau River had become much cleaner, and the stagnation of the lake was causing its own problems, the channel was thus reopened.

On the southern shore of the lake, between it and Lac de la Carrière, is the Casino du Lac-Leamy, one of the region's major tourist attractions.