Note 5 - Employee Benefit Plans - Fair Value by Asset Category (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Total fair value	$ 175,159	$ 189,874	$ 148,052
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Total fair value	98,289	107,661
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Total fair value	15,333	17,592
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Total fair value	0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Total fair value	0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Total fair value	0	0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Total fair value		0
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Total fair value	98,289	107,661
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Total fair value	15,333	17,592
Fair Value Measured at Net Asset Value Per Share [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Total fair value	148,370	160,272
Fair Value Measured at Net Asset Value Per Share [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Total fair value	26,789	29,602
Interest-Bearing Deposits [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Total fair value	743	1,835
Interest-Bearing Deposits [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Total fair value	133	305
Interest-Bearing Deposits [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Total fair value	743	1,835
Interest-Bearing Deposits [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Total fair value	133	305
Interest-Bearing Deposits [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Total fair value	0	0
Interest-Bearing Deposits [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Total fair value	0	0
Interest-Bearing Deposits [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Total fair value	0	0
Interest-Bearing Deposits [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Total fair value		0
Common Stock [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Total fair value	21,678	8,869
Common Stock [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Total fair value	3,295	1,580
Common Stock [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Total fair value	21,678	8,869
Common Stock [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Total fair value	3,295	1,580
Common Stock [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Total fair value	0	0
Common Stock [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Total fair value	0	0
Common Stock [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Total fair value	0	0
Common Stock [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Total fair value		0
Mutual Funds [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Total fair value	75,868	96,957
Mutual Funds [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Total fair value	11,905	15,707
Mutual Funds [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Total fair value	75,868	96,957
Mutual Funds [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Total fair value	11,905	15,707
Mutual Funds [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Total fair value	0	0
Mutual Funds [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Total fair value	0	0
Mutual Funds [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Total fair value	0	0
Mutual Funds [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Total fair value		0
Real Estate Investments [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Total fair value	23,967	19,119
Real Estate Investments [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Total fair value	5,550	4,482
Real Estate Investments [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Total fair value	0	0
Real Estate Investments [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Total fair value	0	0
Real Estate Investments [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Total fair value	0	0
Real Estate Investments [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Total fair value	0	0
Real Estate Investments [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Total fair value	0	0
Real Estate Investments [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Total fair value	0	0
Hedge Funds [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Total fair value	0	12,866
Hedge Funds [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Total fair value	0	2,828
Hedge Funds [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Total fair value	0	0
Hedge Funds [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Total fair value	0	0
Hedge Funds [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Total fair value	0	0
Hedge Funds [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Total fair value	0	0
Hedge Funds [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Total fair value	0	0
Hedge Funds [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Total fair value	0	0
Common Collective Funds [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Total fair value	26,114	20,626
Common Collective Funds [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Total fair value	5,906	4,700
Common Collective Funds [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Total fair value	0	0
Common Collective Funds [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Total fair value	0	0
Common Collective Funds [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Total fair value	0	0
Common Collective Funds [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Total fair value	0	0
Common Collective Funds [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Total fair value	0	0
Common Collective Funds [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Total fair value	0	0
Investments Measured At Net Asset Value [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Total fair value	50,081	52,611
Investments Measured At Net Asset Value [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Total fair value	11,456	12,010
Investments Measured At Net Asset Value [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Total fair value	0	0
Investments Measured At Net Asset Value [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Total fair value	0	0
Investments Measured At Net Asset Value [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Total fair value	0	0
Investments Measured At Net Asset Value [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Total fair value	0	0
Investments Measured At Net Asset Value [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Total fair value	0	0
Investments Measured At Net Asset Value [Member] | Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Total fair value	$ 0	$ 0