Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Schedule of Defined Benefit Plans Disclosures [Table Text Block]

	Pension Benefits						Other Benefits
	2012			2011			2012			2011
Change in benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	87,895		$	76,925		$	65		$	68
Service cost		3,974			3,877			—			—
Interest cost		4,069			4,114			3			3
Participants' contributions		29			—			—			—
Amendments		—			396			—			—
Actuarial loss		7,450			6,476			7			4
Benefits paid		(4,050	)		(3,893	)		(12	)		(10	)
Benefit obligation at end of year		99,367			87,895			63			65
Change in fair value of plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year		65,082			70,462			—			—
Actual return (loss) on plan assets		6,007			(1,818			—			—
Employer contributions		1,447			331			12			10
Participants' contributions		29			—			—			—
Benefits paid		(4,050	)		(3,893	)		(12	)		(10	)
Fair value of plan assets at end of year		68,515			65,082			—			—
Funded status at end of year	$	(30,852	)	$	(22,813	)	$	(63	)	$	(65	)

Pension Benefits Recognized Balance Sheet Location Table Text Block

	Pension Benefits						Other Benefits
	2012			2011			2012			2011
Current liabilities:
Accrued benefit liability	$	(322	)	$	(330	)	$	(3	)	$	(3	)
Other non- current liabilities:
Accrued benefit liability		(30,530	)		(22,484	)		(60	)		(62	)
Accumulated other comprehensive (income) loss		33,545			30,747			(305	)		(340	)
Net amount recognized	$	2,693		$	7,933		$	(368	)	$	(405	)

Schedule of Assumptions Used [Table Text Block]

	Pension Benefits						Other Benefits
	2012			2011			2012			2011
Discount rate: net periodic pension cost		4.75	%		5.50	%		—			—
Discount rate: projected benefit obligation		4.00	%		4.75	%		4.00	%		4.75	%
Expected rate of return on plan assets		7.20	%		8.00	%		—			—
Rate of compensation increase		4.00	%		4.00	%		—			—

Schedule of Net Benefit Costs [Table Text Block]

	Pension Benefits									Other Benefits
	2012			2011			2010			2012			2011			2010
Service cost	$	3,974		$	3,877		$	2,203		$	—		$	—		$	—
Interest cost		4,068			4,114			3,724			3			4			4
Expected return on plan assets		(4,581	)		(5,481	)		(5,041	)		—			—			—
Amortization of prior service cost		401			403			602			—			—			—
Amortization of net gain (loss) from earlier periods		2,826			880			867			(28	)		(31	)		(33	)
Net periodic pension cost	$	6,688		$	3,793		$	2,355		$	(25	)	$	(27	)	$	(29	)

Schedule of Allocation of Plan Assets [Table Text Block]

	Hecla						Lucky Friday
	2012			2011			2012			2011
Cash		1	%		1	%		1	%		1	%
Large cap U.S. equities		11	%		13	%		9	%		12	%
Small cap U.S. equities		4	%		4	%		5	%		4	%
Non-U.S. equities		10	%		9	%		10	%		9	%
Fixed income		33	%		37	%		34	%		38	%
Real estate		18	%		13	%		17	%		13	%
Absolute return hedge funds		13	%		13	%		14	%		13	%
Real return		10	%		10	%		10	%		10	%
Total		100	%		100	%		100	%		100	%

Investment Policy Allocation [Table Text Block]

	Target			Minimum			Maximum
Large cap U.S. equities		10	%		7	%		13	%
Small cap U.S. equities		5	%		4	%		6	%
Non-U.S. equities		10	%		8	%		12	%
Fixed income		35	%		29	%		43	%
Real estate		15	%		12	%		18	%
Absolute return hedge funds		15	%		12	%		18	%
Real return		10	%		8	%		12	%

Fair Value Of Plan Assets By Category [Table Text Block]

	Hecla								Lucky Friday
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Interest-bearing cash	$	683	$	—	$	—	$	683	$	198	$	—	$	—	$	198
Common stock		2,309		—		—		2,309		588		—		—		588
Real estate		—		—		9,611		9,611		—		—		2,513		2,513
Collective investment funds		—		10,095		7,251		17,346		—		2,469		1,978		4,447
Mutual funds		24,183		—		—		24,183		6,637		—		—		6,637
Total fair value	$	27,175	$	10,095	$	16,862	$	54,132	$	7,423	$	2,469	$	4,491	$	14,383

	Hecla								Lucky Friday
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Interest-bearing cash	$	609	$	—	$	—	$	609	$	166	$	—	$	—	$	166
Common stock		2,071		—		—		2,071		527		—		—		527
Real estate		—		—		6,497		6,497		—		—		1,709		1,709
Common collective funds		—		12,641		6,803		19,444		—		3,310		1,857		5,167
Mutual funds		22,667		—		—		22,667		6,225		—		—		6,225
Total fair value	$	25,347	$	12,641	$	13,300	$	51,288	$	6,918	$	3,310	$	3,566	$	13,794

Schedule of Changes in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Table Text Block]

	Hecla		Lucky Friday
Beginning balance at December 31, 2011	$	13,300	$	3,566
Net unrealized gains on assets held at the reporting date		838		187
Purchases		2,724		738
Ending balance at December 31, 2012	$	16,862	$	4,491

	Hecla		Lucky Friday
Beginning balance at December 31, 2010	$	12,508	$	3,356
Net unrealized gains on assets held at the reporting date		391		104
Purchases		401		106
Ending balance at December 31, 2011	$	13,300	$	3,566

Schedule of Expected Benefit Payments [Table Text Block]

Year Ending December 31,	Pension Plans		Other Post- Employment Benefit Plans
2013	$	4,769	$	3
2014		4,951		8
2015		5,083		6
2016		5,320		8
2017		5,601		7
Years 2018-2022		34,011		26

Schedule of Net Funded Status [Table Text Block]

	December 31, 2012						December 31, 2011
	ABO Exceeds Plan Assets			Plan Assets  Exceed ABO			ABO Exceeds  Plan Assets			Plan Assets  Exceed ABO
Projected benefit obligation		$	99,367		$	—		$	87,895		$	—
Accumulated benefit obligation			92,590			—			81,018			—
Fair value of plan assets			68,515			—			65,082			—

Schedule of Defined Benefit Plan Amounts Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Table Text Block]

	Pension Benefits		Other Benefits
Unamortized net (gain)/loss	$	31,649	$	305
Unamortized prior service cost		1,896		—

Schedule of Amounts in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) to be Recognized over Next Fiscal Year [Table Text Block]

	Pension Benefits		Other Benefits
Amortization of net (gain)/loss	$	3,103	$	25
Amortization of prior service cost		390		—