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Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Tables) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2014
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract] |
Schedule of Defined Benefit Plans Disclosures [Table Text Block] |
|  | Pension Benefits |
|  | 2014 |  |  | 2013 |
Change in benefit obligation: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Benefit obligation at beginning of year |  | $ | 101,155 |  |  | $ | 99,367 |
Service cost |  |  | 4,312 |  |  |  | 4,025 |
Interest cost |  |  | 4,859 |  |  |  | 3,889 |
Amendments |  |  | — |  |  |  | (4,208 | )
Actuarial loss |  |  | 12,575 |  |  |  | 2,428 |
Benefits paid |  |  | (4,617 | ) |  |  | (4,346 | )
Benefit obligation at end of year |  |  | 118,284 |  |  |  | 101,155 |
Change in fair value of plan assets: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year |  |  | 69,051 |  |  |  | 68,515 |
Actual return on plan assets |  |  | 3,402 |  |  |  | 3,479 |
Employer contributions |  |  | 6,715 |  |  |  | 1,403 |
Benefits paid |  |  | (4,617 | ) |  |  | (4,346 | )
Fair value of plan assets at end of year |  |  | 74,551 |  |  |  | 69,051 |
Funded status at end of year |  | $ | (43,733 | ) |  | $ | (32,104 | )
Pension Benefits Recognized Balance Sheet Location [Table Text Block] |
|  | Pension Benefits |
|  | 2014 |  |  | 2013 |
Current liabilities: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accrued benefit liability |  | $ | (385 | ) |  | $ | (342 | )
Other non- current liabilities: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accrued benefit liability |  |  | (43,348 | ) |  |  | (31,763 | )
Accumulated other comprehensive loss |  |  | 41,041 |  |  |  | 29,768 |
Net amount recognized |  | $ | (2,692 | ) |  | $ | (2,337 | )
Schedule of Assumptions Used [Table Text Block] |
|  | Pension Benefits |
|  | 2014 |  |  | 2013 |
Discount rate: net periodic pension cost |  |  | 4.81 | % |  |  | 4.00 | %
Discount rate: projected benefit obligation |  |  | 4.17 | % |  |  | 4.81 | %
Expected rate of return on plan assets |  |  | 7.20 | % |  |  | 7.20 | %
Rate of compensation increase: net periodic pension cost |  |  | 4.00 | % |  |  | 4.00 | %
Rate of compensation increase: projected benefit obligation |  |  | 2.00 | % |  |  | 4.00 | %
Schedule of Net Benefit Costs [Table Text Block] |
|  | Pension Benefits |
|  | 2014 |  |  | 2013 |  |  | 2012 |
Service cost |  | $ | 4,312 |  |  | $ | 4,025 |  |  | $ | 3,974 |
Interest cost |  |  | 4,859 |  |  |  | 3,889 |  |  |  | 4,068 |
Expected return on plan assets |  |  | (4,996 | ) |  |  | (4,741 | ) |  |  | (4,581 | )
Amortization of prior service cost (benefit) |  |  | (337 | ) |  |  | 66 |  |  |  | 401 |
Amortization of net gain from earlier periods |  |  | 3,275 |  |  |  | 3,152 |  |  |  | 2,826 |
Net periodic pension cost |  | $ | 7,113 |  |  | $ | 6,391 |  |  | $ | 6,688 |
Schedule of Allocation of Plan Assets [Table Text Block] |
|  | Hecla |  |  | Lucky Friday |
|  | 2014 |  |  | 2013 |  |  | 2014 |  |  | 2013 |
Cash |  |  | 3 | % |  |  | 1 | % |  |  | 1 | % |  |  | 1 | %
Large cap U.S. equities |  |  | 11 | % |  |  | 9 | % |  |  | 11 | % |  |  | 9 | %
Small cap U.S. equities |  |  | 6 | % |  |  | 6 | % |  |  | 6 | % |  |  | 6 | %
Non-U.S. equities |  |  | 8 | % |  |  | 9 | % |  |  | 10 | % |  |  | 9 | %
Fixed income |  |  | 34 | % |  |  | 32 | % |  |  | 34 | % |  |  | 32 | %
Real estate |  |  | 15 | % |  |  | 20 | % |  |  | 16 | % |  |  | 20 | %
Absolute return hedge funds |  |  | 14 | % |  |  | 15 | % |  |  | 15 | % |  |  | 15 | %
Real return |  |  | 9 | % |  |  | 8 | % |  |  | 7 | % |  |  | 8 | %
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 |  |  | 10 | % |  |  | 8 | % |  |  | 12 | %
Fixed income |  |  | 35 | % |  |  | 29 | % |  |  | 43 | %
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 |  | $ | 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 |
|  | Hecla |  |  | Lucky Friday |
|  | Level 1 |  |  | Level 2 |  |  | Level 3 |  |  | Total |  |  | Level 1 |  |  | Level 2 |  |  | Level 3 |  |  | Total |
Interest-bearing cash |  | $ | 596 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 596 |  |  | $ | 393 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 393 |
Common stock |  |  | 1,220 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 1,220 |  |  |  | 311 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 311 |
Real estate |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 10,797 |  |  |  | 10,797 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 2,865 |  |  |  | 2,865 |
Common collective funds |  |  | — |  |  |  | 9,654 |  |  |  | 7,970 |  |  |  | 17,624 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 2,982 |  |  |  | 2,174 |  |  |  | 5,156 |
Mutual funds |  |  | 23,252 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 23,252 |  |  |  | 6,837 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 6,837 |
Total fair value |  | $ | 25,068 |  |  | $ | 9,654 |  |  | $ | 18,767 |  |  | $ | 53,489 |  |  | $ | 7,541 |  |  | $ | 2,982 |  |  | $ | 5,039 |  |  | $ | 15,562 |
Schedule of Changes in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Table Text Block] |
|  | Hecla |  |  | Lucky Friday |
Beginning balance at January 1, 2014 |  | $ | 18,767 |  |  | $ | 5,039 |
Net unrealized gains on assets held at the reporting date |  |  | 1,457 |  |  |  | 375 |
Purchases |  |  | 424 |  |  |  | 121 |
Sales |  | $ | (3,305 | ) |  | $ | (771 | )
Ending balance at December 31, 2014 |  | $ | 17,343 |  |  | $ | 4,764 |
|  | Hecla |  |  | Lucky Friday |
Beginning balance at December 31, 2012 |  | $ | 16,862 |  |  | $ | 4,491 |
Net unrealized gains on assets held at the reporting date |  |  | 1,486 |  |  |  | 399 |
Purchases |  |  | 419 |  |  |  | 149 |
Ending balance at December 31, 2013 |  | $ | 18,767 |  |  | $ | 5,039 |
Schedule of Expected Benefit Payments [Table Text Block] |
Year Ending December 31, |  | Pension Plans |
2015 |  | $ | 5,249 |
2016 |  |  | 5,462 |
2017 |  |  | 5,724 |
2018 |  |  | 6,186 |
2019 |  |  | 6,569 |
Years 2020-2024 |  |  | 39,915 |
Schedule of Net Funded Status [Table Text Block] |
|  | December 31, 2014 |  |  | December 31, 2013 |
|  | ABO Exceeds Plan Assets |  |  | Plan Assets Exceed ABO |  |  | ABO Exceeds Plan Assets |  |  | Plan Assets Exceed ABO |
Projected benefit obligation |  | $ | 118,284 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 101,155 |  |  | $ | — |
Accumulated benefit obligation |  |  | 112,727 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 97,937 |  |  |  | — |
Fair value of plan assets |  |  | 74,551 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 69,051 |  |  |  | — |
Schedule of Defined Benefit Plan Amounts Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Table Text Block] |
|  | Pension Benefits |
Unamortized net (gain)/loss |  | $ | 42,959 |
Unamortized prior service benefit |  |  | (1,917 | )
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 |  | $ | 3,459 |
Amortization of prior service benefit |  |  | (352 | )

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