Note 1 - The Company	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2022
Notes To Financial Statements [Abstract]
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure [Text Block]	Note 1: The Company Hecla Mining Company, and its affiliates and subsidiaries (collectively, “Hecla,” “we,” “us” or “the Company”), is the largest silver producer in the United States. In addition to operating mines in Alaska, Idaho and Quebec, Canada, the Company is developing a mine in the Yukon, Canada, and owns a number of exploration and pre-development projects in world-class silver and gold mining districts throughout North America. Our current holding company structure dates from the incorporation of Hecla Mining Company in 2006 and the renaming of our subsidiary (previously Hecla Mining Company) as Hecla Limited. Hecla Limited was incorporated on October 14, 1891 as an Idaho Corporation in northern Idaho’s Silver Valley. We believe we are the oldest operating precious metals mining company in the United States and the largest silver producer in the United States. Our corporate offices are in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and Vancouver, British Columbia. The cash flow and profitability of the Company’s operations are significantly affected by the market price of silver, gold, lead and zinc, which are affected by numerous factors beyond our control. On September 7, 2022, we completed the acquisition of the remaining 90.1% of Alexco Resource Corp. ("Alexco") for non-cash consideration of 17,992,875 shares of Company common stock valued at $68.7 million. Total consideration for the acquisition, deemed to be an asset acquisition under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”), was $81.5 million of which $76.4 million was non-cash, including the fair value of our common stock issued and the fair value of the 9.9% Alexco investment held by us prior to the completion of the acquisition and previously accounted for as marketable equity securities of $7.7 million. Acquisition costs also included transaction costs of $5.1 million. The total consideration was allocated to the acquired assets and assumed liabilities based on their estimated fair values on the acquisition date, which primarily consisted of mineral interests of $236.6 million, a related deferred tax liability of $12.9 million, net liabilities of $7.2 million and a silver stream liability of $135 million. Immediately following the closure of the acquisition, we settled the silver stream liability with the stream holder for 34,800,990 shares of our common stock. Prior to September 7, 2022, the Company advanced $25 million to Alexco to fund its operations on market terms. The advance was assumed upon acquisition and is eliminated upon consolidation. References to “CAD” and “MXN” refer to the Canadian Dollar and Mexican Peso, respectively.

Note 1 - The Company

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2022

Notes To Financial Statements [Abstract]

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure [Text Block]

Note 1: The Company

Hecla Mining Company, and its affiliates and subsidiaries (collectively, “Hecla,” “we,” “us” or “the Company”), is the largest silver producer in the United States. In addition to operating mines in Alaska, Idaho and Quebec, Canada, the Company is developing a mine in the Yukon, Canada, and owns a number of exploration and pre-development projects in world-class silver and gold mining districts throughout North America. Our current holding company structure dates from the incorporation of Hecla Mining Company in 2006 and the renaming of our subsidiary (previously Hecla Mining Company) as Hecla Limited. Hecla Limited was incorporated on October 14, 1891 as an Idaho Corporation in northern Idaho’s Silver Valley. We believe we are the oldest operating precious metals mining company in the United States and the largest silver producer in the United States. Our corporate offices are in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and Vancouver, British Columbia. The cash flow and profitability of the Company’s operations are significantly affected by the market price of silver, gold, lead and zinc, which are affected by numerous factors beyond our control.

On September 7, 2022, we completed the acquisition of the remaining 90.1% of Alexco Resource Corp. ("Alexco") for non-cash consideration of 17,992,875 shares of Company common stock valued at $68.7 million. Total consideration for the acquisition, deemed to be an asset acquisition under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”), was $81.5 million of which $76.4 million was non-cash, including the fair value of our common stock issued and the fair value of the 9.9% Alexco investment held by us prior to the completion of the acquisition and previously accounted for as marketable equity securities of $7.7 million. Acquisition costs also included transaction costs of $5.1 million. The total consideration was allocated to the acquired assets and assumed liabilities based on their estimated fair values on the acquisition date, which primarily consisted of mineral interests of $236.6 million, a related deferred tax liability of $12.9 million, net liabilities of $7.2 million and a silver stream liability of $135 million. Immediately following the closure of the acquisition, we settled the silver stream liability with the stream holder for 34,800,990 shares of our common stock. Prior to September 7, 2022, the Company advanced $25 million to Alexco to fund its operations on market terms. The advance was assumed upon acquisition and is eliminated upon consolidation.

References to “CAD” and “MXN” refer to the Canadian Dollar and Mexican Peso, respectively.