Note 15 - Acquisitions (Details) - Preliminary Purchase Price Allocation	0 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Jun. 02, 2013 USD ($)	Jun. 02, 2013 CAD	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 Bullion and Stockpiled Ore [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 Supplies [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 Accrued Payroll and Related Benefits [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 Accrued Taxes [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 Non-current Deferred Tax Liability [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 Non-current Reclamation [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 Other Non-current Liabilities [Member] USD ($)
Consideration:
Cash payments	$ 496,200,000	514,500,000	$ 496,211,000
Hecla stock issued (56,997,790 shares at $3.83 per share)	218,300,000	226.3	218,302,000
Total consideration	714,500,000	740,800,000	714,513,000
Assets:
Cash			177,587,000
Accounts receivable			14,307,000
Inventory				8,090,000	5,704,000
Other current assets			7,036,000
Properties, plants, equipment and mineral interests, net			715,391,000
Non-current restricted cash and investments			4,471,000
Other non-current assets			795,000
Total assets			933,381,000
Liabilities:
Accounts payable			22,227,000
Other current liabilities						7,613,000	509,000
Other non-current liabilities								177,016,000	11,113,000	390,000
Total liabilities										218,868,000
Net assets			$ 714,513,000