Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

Dec. 31, 2014

Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Defined Benefit Plans Disclosures [Table Text Block]

	Pension Benefits
	2015			2014
Change in benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	118,284		$	101,155
Service cost		4,216			4,312
Interest cost		4,823			4,859
Actuarial (gain) loss		(2,617	)		12,575
Benefits paid		(4,469	)		(4,617	)
Benefit obligation at end of year		120,237			118,284
Change in fair value of plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year		74,551			69,051
Actual (loss) return on plan assets		(2,221	)		3,402
Employer contributions		5,460			6,715
Benefits paid		(4,469	)		(4,617	)
Fair value of plan assets at end of year		73,321			74,551
Underfunded status at end of year	$	(46,916	)	$	(43,733	)

Pension Benefits Recognized Balance Sheet Location [Table Text Block]

	Pension Benefits
	2015			2014
Current liabilities:
Accrued benefit liability	$	(402	)	$	(385	)
Non- current pension liability:
Accrued benefit liability		(46,513	)		(43,348	)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		42,103			41,041
Net amount recognized	$	(4,812	)	$	(2,692	)

Schedule of Assumptions Used [Table Text Block]

	Pension Benefits
	2015			2014
Discount rate: net periodic pension cost		4.17	%		4.81	%
Discount rate: projected benefit obligation		4.45	%		4.17	%
Expected rate of return on plan assets		7.20	%		7.20	%
Rate of compensation increase: net periodic pension cost		2.00	%		4.00	%
Rate of compensation increase: projected benefit obligation	0.00%/2.00		%(1)		2.00	%

Schedule of Net Benefit Costs [Table Text Block]

	Pension Benefits
	2015			2014			2013
Service cost	$	4,216		$	4,312		$	4,025
Interest cost		4,823			4,859			3,889
Expected return on plan assets		(5,382	)		(4,996	)		(4,741	)
Amortization of prior service cost (benefit)		(337	)		(337	)		66
Amortization of net gain from earlier periods		4,260			3,275			3,152
Net periodic pension cost	$	7,580		$	7,113		$	6,391

Schedule of Allocation of Plan Assets [Table Text Block]

	Hecla						Lucky Friday
	2015			2014			2015			2014
Cash		2	%		3	%		4	%		1	%
Large cap U.S. equities		10	%		11	%		10	%		11	%
Small cap U.S. equities		5	%		6	%		5	%		6	%
Non-U.S. equities		9	%		8	%		9	%		10	%
Fixed income		34	%		34	%		33	%		34	%
Real estate		18	%		15	%		18	%		16	%
Absolute return hedge funds		15	%		14	%		14	%		15	%
Real return		7	%		9	%		7	%		7	%
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		15	%		11	%		19	%
Fixed income		30	%		25	%		35	%
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	$	936	$	—	$	—	$	936	$	76	$	—	$	—	$	76
Common stock		3,284		—		—		3,284		989		—		—		989
Real estate		—		—		10,326		10,326		—		—		2,856		2,856
Common collective funds		—		9,862		4,462		14,324		—		2,573		1,309		3,882
Mutual funds		28,803		—		—		28,803		7,845		—		—		7,845
Total fair value	$	33,023	$	9,862	$	14,788	$	57,673	$	8,910	$	2,573	$	4,165	$	15,648

	Hecla								Lucky Friday
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Interest-bearing cash	$	1,798	$	—	$	—	$	1,798	$	136	$	—	$	—	$	136
Common stock		1,105		—		—		1,105		281		—		—		281
Real estate		—		—		8,889		8,889		—		—		2,458		2,458
Common collective funds		—		12,280		8,454		20,734		—		3,040		2,306		5,346
Mutual funds		26,392		—		—		26,392		7,412		—		—		7,412
Total fair value	$	29,295	$	12,280	$	17,343	$	58,918	$	7,829	$	3,040	$	4,764	$	15,633

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

	Hecla					Lucky Friday
	Real estate		Common collective funds			Real estate		Common collective funds
Beginning balance at January 1, 2015	$	8,889	$	8,454		$	2,458	$	2,306
Net unrealized gains on assets held at the reporting date		1,094		8			303		3
Purchases		343		—			95		—
Sales		—		(4,000	)		—		(1,000	)
Ending balance at December 31, 2015	$	10,326	$	4,462		$	2,856	$	1,309

	Hecla					Lucky Friday
	Real estate			Common collective funds		Real estate			Common collective funds
Beginning balance at January 1, 2014	$	10,797		$	7,970	$	2,865		$	2,174
Net unrealized gains on assets held at the reporting date		973			484		243			132
Purchases		424			—		121			—
Sales		(3,305	)		—		(771	)		—
Ending balance at December 31, 2014	$	8,889		$	8,454	$	2,458		$	2,306

Schedule of Expected Benefit Payments [Table Text Block]

Year Ending December 31,	Pension Plans
2016	$	5,430
2017		5,624
2018		5,984
2019		6,217
2020		6,630
Years 2021-2025		36,233

Schedule of Net Funded Status [Table Text Block]

	December 31, 2015				December 31, 2014
	ABO Exceeds Plan Assets		Plan Assets Exceed ABO		ABO Exceeds Plan Assets		Plan Assets Exceed ABO
Projected benefit obligation	$	120,237	$	—	$	118,284	$	—
Accumulated benefit obligation		116,289		—		112,727		—
Fair value of plan assets		73,321		—		74,551		—

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

	Pension Benefits
Unamortized net (gain)/loss	$	43,684
Unamortized prior service benefit		(1,581	)

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

	Pension Benefits
Amortization of net loss	$	4,372
Amortization of prior service benefit		(337	)