Note 16 - Acquisitions (Details) - Preliminary Purchase Price Allocation (Parentheticals) (USD $)	1 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Feb. 21, 2008	Sep. 30, 2013
Note 16 - Acquisitions (Details) - Preliminary Purchase Price Allocation (Parentheticals) [Line Items]
Hecla stock issued, shares	5,395,683	56,997,790
Hecla stock issued, per share (in Dollars per share)		$ 3.83

Number of shares of stock issued during the period pursuant to acquisitions.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 04

-Article 3

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 505

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.3-04)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27012166&loc=d3e187085-122770

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.28,29)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 29, 30

-Article 5

Name:	us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesAcquisitions
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration