Note 9 - Employee Benefit Plans (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Notes Tables

Schedule of Defined Benefit Plans Disclosures [Table Text Block]

	Pension Benefits
	2018			2017
Change in benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	147,023		$	132,270
Service cost		5,009			4,786
Interest cost		5,508			5,356
Amendments		—			2,571
Change due to mortality change		2,713			—
Change due to discount rate change		(13,716	)		5,529
Actuarial loss		3,487			1,733
Benefits paid		(5,386	)		(5,222	)
Benefit obligation at end of year		144,638			147,023
Change in fair value of plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year		99,922			87,357
Actual (loss) return on plan assets		(8,772	)		10,560
Employer contributions		10,565			7,227
Benefits paid		(5,386	)		(5,222	)
Fair value of plan assets at end of year		96,329			99,922
Underfunded status at end of year	$	(48,309	)	$	(47,101	)

Pension Benefits Recognized Balance Sheet Location [Table Text Block]

	Pension Benefits
	2018			2017
Current liabilities:
Accrued benefit liability	$	(597	)	$	(471	)
Non- current pension liability:
Accrued benefit liability		(47,711	)		(46,628	)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		46,248			42,243
Net amount recognized	$	(2,060	)	$	(4,856	)

Schedule of Assumptions Used [Table Text Block]

	Pension Benefits
	2018			2017
Discount rate: net periodic pension cost		3.83	%		4.14	%
Discount rate: projected benefit obligation		4.59	%		3.83	%
Expected rate of return on plan assets		6.62	%		6.80	%
Rate of compensation increase: net periodic pension cost		2.00	%		2.00	%
Rate of compensation increase: projected benefit obligation		2.00	%		2.00	%

Schedule of Net Benefit Costs [Table Text Block]

	Pension Benefits
	2018			2017			2016
Service cost	$	5,009		$	4,786		$	4,309
Interest cost		5,508			5,356			5,229
Expected return on plan assets		(6,536	)		(5,849	)		(5,299	)
Amortization of prior service benefit		61			(337	)		(337	)
Amortization of net gain from earlier periods		3,726			4,132			4,372
Net periodic pension cost	$	7,768		$	8,088		$	8,274

Schedule of Allocation of Plan Assets [Table Text Block]

	Hecla						Lucky Friday
	2018			2017			2018			2017
Cash		1	%		—	%		1	%		—	%
Large cap U.S. equities		15	%		19	%		15	%		18	%
Small cap U.S. equities		6	%		9	%		6	%		10	%
Non-U.S. equities		23	%		27	%		23	%		26	%
Fixed income		24	%		21	%		24	%		20	%
Real estate		15	%		14	%		17	%		15	%
Absolute return hedge funds		6	%		5	%		6	%		6	%
Company stock		10	%		5	%		8	%		5	%
Total		100	%		100	%		100	%		100	%

Investment Policy Allocation [Table Text Block]

	Target			Maximum
Large cap U.S. equities		17	%		20	%
Small cap U.S. equities		8	%		10	%
Non-U.S. equities		25	%		30	%
Fixed income		23	%		28	%
Real estate		15	%		18	%
Absolute return		5	%		7	%
Company stock/Real return		7	%		13	%

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
Investments measured at fair value
Interest-bearing cash	$	389	$	—	$	—	$	389	$	111	$	—	$	—	$	111
Common stock		7,874		—		—		7,874		1,428		—		—		1,428
Mutual funds		43,960		—		—		43,960		10,431		—		—		10,431
Total investments in the fair value hierarchy		52,223		—		—		52,223		11,970		—		—		11,970
Investments measured at net asset value
Real estate funds								11,926								3,231
Hedge funds								4,283								1,149
Common collective funds								9,221								2,326
Total investments measured at net asset value								25,430								6,706
Total fair value	$	52,223	$	—	$	—	$	77,653	$	11,970	$	—	$	—	$	18,676

	Hecla								Lucky Friday
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Investments measured at fair value
Interest-bearing cash	$	351	$	—	$	—	$	351	$	100	$	—	$	—	$	100
Common stock		3,768		—		—		3,768		1,015		—		—		1,015
Mutual funds		47,181		—		—		47,181		11,511		—		—		11,511
Total investments in the fair value hierarchy		51,300		—		—		51,300		12,626		—		—		12,626
Investments measured at net asset value
Real estate funds								11,154								3,023
Hedge funds								4,247								1,140
Common collective funds								12,856								3,576
Total investments measured at net asset value		—		—		—		28,257		—		—		—		7,739
Total fair value	$	51,300	$	—	$	—	$	79,557	$	12,626	$	—	$	—	$	20,365

Schedule of Expected Benefit Payments [Table Text Block]

Year Ending December 31,	Pension Plans
2019	$	6,835
2020		7,598
2021		7,775
2022		8,396
2023		8,710
Years 2024-2028		44,991

Schedule of Net Funded Status [Table Text Block]

	December 31, 2018				December 31, 2017
	ABO Exceeds Plan Assets		Plan Assets Exceed ABO		ABO Exceeds Plan Assets		Plan Assets Exceed ABO
Projected benefit obligation	$	144,637	$	—	$	147,023	$	—
Accumulated benefit obligation		140,350		—		141,775		—
Fair value of plan assets		96,329		—		99,922		—

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

	Pension Benefits
Unamortized net (gain)/loss	$	44,645
Unamortized prior service cost		1,603

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	$	4,389
Amortization of prior service benefit		61