Note 5 - Employee Benefit Plans (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2022

Defined Benefit Plan [Abstract]

Schedule of changes in the plans' benefit obligations and fair value of assets

	Pension Benefits
	2022			2021
Change in benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	195,862		$	192,954
Service cost		6,262			5,820
Interest cost		5,476			4,990
Amendments		0			550
Change due to mortality change		486			548
Change due to discount rate change		(54,977	)		(5,865	)
Actuarial return (loss)		1,841			4,342
Benefits paid		(6,807	)		(7,477	)
Benefit obligation at end of year		148,143			195,862
Change in fair value of plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year		189,874			148,052
Actual return on plan assets		(18,238	)		27,049
Employer contributions		10,330			22,250
Benefits paid		(6,807	)		(7,477	)
Fair value of plan assets at end of year		175,159			189,874
Funded/(underfunded) status at end of year	$	27,016		$	(5,988	)

Schedule of the amounts recognized in the consolidated balance sheets

	Pension Benefits
	2022			2021
Non-current assets:
Accrued benefit asset	$	27,806		$	—
Current pension liability
Accrued benefit liability		(790	)		(1,315	)
Non- current pension liability:
Accrued benefit liability		—			(4,673	)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		6,446			29,966
Net amount recognized	$	33,462		$	23,978

Schedule of assumptions related to benefit obligation and prepaid benefit costs

	Pension Benefits
	2022				2021
Discount rate: net periodic pension cost		5.54	%			2.64	%
Discount rate: projected benefit obligation		5.54	%			2.86	%
Expected rate of return on plan assets		7.25	%			6.40	%
Rate of compensation increase: net periodic pension cost	5.00%/2.00%			(1)	5.00%/2.00%
Rate of compensation increase: projected benefit obligation	5.00%/2.00%			(1)	5.00%/2.00%

Schedule of net periodic pension cost

	Pension Benefits
	2022			2021			2020
Service cost	$	6,262		$	5,820		$	5,334
Interest cost		5,476			4,990			5,618
Expected return on plan assets		(13,452	)		(9,252	)		(7,489	)
Amortization of prior service benefit		511			394			117
Amortization of net gain from earlier periods		2,049			4,502			4,652
Net periodic pension cost	$	846		$	6,454		$	8,232

Schedule of allocation of assets

	Target			Maximum
Large cap U.S. equities		17	%		20	%
Small cap U.S. equities		8	%		10	%
Non-U.S. equities		25	%		30	%
U.S. Fixed income		18	%		23	%
Emerging markets debt		5	%		8	%
Real estate		15	%		18	%
Absolute return		5	%		7	%
Company stock/Real return		7	%		13	%

Schedule of fair values of plan by asset category

	Hecla plans								Lucky Friday
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Investments measured at fair value
Interest-bearing cash	$	743	$	—	$	—	$	743	$	133	$	—	$	—	$	133
Common stock		21,678		—		—		21,678		3,295		—		—		3,295
Mutual funds		75,868		—		—		75,868		11,905		—		—		11,905
Total investments in the fair value hierarchy		98,289		—		—		98,289		15,333		—		—		15,333
Investments measured at net asset value
Real estate funds		—		—		—		23,967		—		—		—		5,550
Hedge funds		—		—		—		—		—		—		—		—
Common collective funds		—		—		—		26,114		—		—		—		5,906
Total investments measured at net asset value		—		—		—		50,081		—		—		—		11,456
Total fair value	$	98,289	$	—	$	—	$	148,370	$	15,333	$	—	$	—	$	26,789

	Hecla								Lucky Friday
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Investments measured at fair value
Interest-bearing cash	$	1,835	$	—	$	—	$	1,835	$	305	$	—	$	—	$	305
Common stock		8,869		—		—		8,869		1,580		—		—		1,580
Mutual funds		96,957		—		—		96,957		15,707		—		—		15,707
Total investments in the fair value hierarchy		107,661		—		—		107,661		17,592		—		—		17,592
Investments measured at net asset value
Real estate funds		—		—		—		19,119		—		—		—		4,482
Hedge funds		—		—		—		12,866		—		—		—		2,828
Common collective funds		—		—		—		20,626		—		—		—		4,700
Total investments measured at net asset value		—		—		—		52,611		—		—		—		12,010
Total fair value	$	107,661	$	—	$	—	$	160,272	$	17,592	$	—	$	—	$	29,602

Schedule of estimates of future benefit payments

Year Ending December 31,	Pension Plans
2023	$	8,429
2024		8,796
2025		9,649
2026		9,819
2027		9,803
Years 2028-2032		50,279

Schedule of indication of whether pension plans had accumulated benefit obligations (ABO) in excess of plan assets, or plan assets exceeded ABO

	December 31, 2022				December 31, 2021
	ABO Exceeds Plan Assets		Plan Assets Exceed ABO		ABO Exceeds Plan Assets		Plan Assets Exceed ABO
Projected benefit obligation	$	—	$	148,143	$	195,862	$	—
Accumulated benefit obligation		—		144,816		191,597		—
Fair value of plan assets		—		175,159		189,874		—

Schedule of amounts included in "Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net"

	Pension Benefits
Unamortized net (gain)/loss	$	5,377
Unamortized prior service cost		1,069