Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) - Fair Value by Asset Category - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan [Member]
Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) - Fair Value by Asset Category [Line Items]
Assets, fair value	$ 57,673	$ 58,918
Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) - Fair Value by Asset Category [Line Items]
Assets, fair value	15,648	15,633
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	936	1,798
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	76	136
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	3,284	1,105
Common Stock [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) - Fair Value by Asset Category [Line Items]
Assets, fair value	989	281
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	10,326	8,889
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	2,856	2,458
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	14,324	20,734
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	3,882	5,346
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	28,803	26,392
Mutual Funds [Member] | Lucky Friday Pension Plan [Member]
Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Details) - Fair Value by Asset Category [Line Items]
Assets, fair value	7,845	7,412
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	33,023	29,295
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	8,910	7,829
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	936	1,798
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	76	136
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	3,284	1,105
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	989	281
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	28,803	26,392
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	7,845	7,412
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	9,862	12,280
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	2,573	3,040
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	9,862	12,280
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	2,573	3,040
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	14,788	17,343
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	4,165	4,764
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	10,326	8,889
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	2,856	2,458
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	4,462	8,454
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	$ 1,309	$ 2,306