Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) - Fair Value by Asset Category (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Interest-bearing Deposits [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) - Fair Value by Asset Category [Line Items]
Assets, fair value	$ 1,798	$ 596
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Interest-bearing Deposits [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) - Fair Value by Asset Category [Line Items]
Assets, fair value	136	393
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Common Stock [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) - Fair Value by Asset Category [Line Items]
Assets, fair value	1,105	1,220
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Common Stock [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) - Fair Value by Asset Category [Line Items]
Assets, fair value	281	311
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Mutual Funds [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) - Fair Value by Asset Category [Line Items]
Assets, fair value	26,392	23,252
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Mutual Funds [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) - Fair Value by Asset Category [Line Items]
Assets, fair value	7,412	6,837
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) - Fair Value by Asset Category [Line Items]
Assets, fair value	29,295	25,068
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) - Fair Value by Asset Category [Line Items]
Assets, fair value	7,829	7,541
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Common Collective Funds [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) - Fair Value by Asset Category [Line Items]
Assets, fair value	12,280	9,654
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Common Collective Funds [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) - Fair Value by Asset Category [Line Items]
Assets, fair value	3,040	2,982
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) - Fair Value by Asset Category [Line Items]
Assets, fair value	12,280	9,654
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) - Fair Value by Asset Category [Line Items]
Assets, fair value	3,040	2,982
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Real Estate Investments [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) - Fair Value by Asset Category [Line Items]
Assets, fair value	8,889	10,797
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Real Estate Investments [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) - Fair Value by Asset Category [Line Items]
Assets, fair value	2,458	2,865
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Common Collective Funds [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) - Fair Value by Asset Category [Line Items]
Assets, fair value	8,454	7,970
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Common Collective Funds [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) - Fair Value by Asset Category [Line Items]
Assets, fair value	2,306	2,174
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) - Fair Value by Asset Category [Line Items]
Assets, fair value	17,343	18,767
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) - Fair Value by Asset Category [Line Items]
Assets, fair value	4,764	5,039
Interest-bearing Deposits [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) - Fair Value by Asset Category [Line Items]
Assets, fair value	1,798	596
Interest-bearing Deposits [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) - Fair Value by Asset Category [Line Items]
Assets, fair value	136	393
Common Stock [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) - Fair Value by Asset Category [Line Items]
Assets, fair value	1,105	1,220
Common Stock [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) - Fair Value by Asset Category [Line Items]
Assets, fair value	281	311
Real Estate Investments [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) - Fair Value by Asset Category [Line Items]
Assets, fair value	8,889	10,797
Real Estate Investments [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) - Fair Value by Asset Category [Line Items]
Assets, fair value	2,458	2,865
Common Collective Funds [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) - Fair Value by Asset Category [Line Items]
Assets, fair value	20,734	17,624
Common Collective Funds [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) - Fair Value by Asset Category [Line Items]
Assets, fair value	5,346	5,156
Mutual Funds [Member] | Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) - Fair Value by Asset Category [Line Items]
Assets, fair value	26,392	23,252
Mutual Funds [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) - Fair Value by Asset Category [Line Items]
Assets, fair value	7,412	6,837
Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) - Fair Value by Asset Category [Line Items]
Assets, fair value	58,918	53,489
Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) - Fair Value by Asset Category [Line Items]
Assets, fair value	$ 15,633	$ 15,562