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Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Tables) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2017
Notes Tables |
Schedule of Defined Benefit Plans Disclosures [Table Text Block] |
|  | Pension Benefits |
|  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |
Change in benefit obligation: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Benefit obligation at beginning of year |  | $ | 132,270 |  |  | $ | 120,237 |
Service cost |  |  | 4,786 |  |  |  | 4,309 |
Interest cost |  |  | 5,356 |  |  |  | 5,230 |
Amendments |  |  | 2,571 |  |  |  | — |
Change due to discount rate change |  |  | 5,529 |  |  |  | 5,088 |
Actuarial loss (gain) |  |  | 1,733 |  |  |  | 2,412 |
Benefits paid |  |  | (5,222 | ) |  |  | (5,006 | )
Benefit obligation at end of year |  |  | 147,023 |  |  |  | 132,270 |
Change in fair value of plan assets: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year |  |  | 87,357 |  |  |  | 73,321 |
Actual return (loss) on plan assets |  |  | 10,560 |  |  |  | 9,950 |
Employer contributions |  |  | 7,227 |  |  |  | 9,092 |
Benefits paid |  |  | (5,222 | ) |  |  | (5,006 | )
Fair value of plan assets at end of year |  |  | 99,922 |  |  |  | 87,357 |
Underfunded status at end of year |  | $ | (47,101 | ) |  | $ | (44,913 | )
Pension Benefits Recognized Balance Sheet Location [Table Text Block] |
|  | Pension Benefits |
|  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |
Current liabilities: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accrued benefit liability |  | $ | (471 | ) |  | $ | (420 | )
Non- current pension liability: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accrued benefit liability |  |  | (46,628 | ) |  |  | (44,491 | )
Accumulated other comprehensive loss |  |  | 42,243 |  |  |  | 40,917 |
Net amount recognized |  | $ | (4,856 | ) |  | $ | (3,994 | )
Schedule of Assumptions Used [Table Text Block] |
|  | Pension Benefits |
|  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |
Discount rate: net periodic pension cost |  |  | 4.14 | % |  |  | 4.45% |  |
Discount rate: projected benefit obligation |  |  | 3.83 | % |  |  | 4.14% |  |
Expected rate of return on plan assets |  |  | 6.80 | % |  |  | 7.20% |  |
Rate of compensation increase: net periodic pension cost |  |  | 2.00 | % |  |  | 2.00% |  |
Rate of compensation increase: projected benefit obligation (1) |  |  | 2.00 | % |  | 0.00% | / | 2.00% |
Schedule of Net Benefit Costs [Table Text Block] |
|  | Pension Benefits |
|  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |  |  | 2015 |
Service cost |  | $ | 4,786 |  |  | $ | 4,309 |  |  | $ | 4,216 |
Interest cost |  |  | 5,356 |  |  |  | 5,229 |  |  |  | 4,823 |
Expected return on plan assets |  |  | (5,849 | ) |  |  | (5,299 | ) |  |  | (5,382 | )
Amortization of prior service benefit |  |  | (337 | ) |  |  | (337 | ) |  |  | (337 | )
Amortization of net gain from earlier periods |  |  | 4,132 |  |  |  | 4,372 |  |  |  | 4,260 |
Net periodic pension cost |  | $ | 8,088 |  |  | $ | 8,274 |  |  | $ | 7,580 |
Schedule of Allocation of Plan Assets [Table Text Block] |
|  | Hecla |  |  | Lucky Friday |
|  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |  |  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |
Cash |  |  | — | % |  |  | 3 | % |  |  | — | % |  |  | 3 | %
Large cap U.S. equities |  |  | 19 | % |  |  | 18 | % |  |  | 18 | % |  |  | 17 | %
Small cap U.S. equities |  |  | 9 | % |  |  | 9 | % |  |  | 10 | % |  |  | 9 | %
Non-U.S. equities |  |  | 27 | % |  |  | 24 | % |  |  | 26 | % |  |  | 25 | %
Fixed income |  |  | 21 | % |  |  | 20 | % |  |  | 20 | % |  |  | 20 | %
Real estate |  |  | 14 | % |  |  | 13 | % |  |  | 15 | % |  |  | 13 | %
Absolute return hedge funds |  |  | 5 | % |  |  | 6 | % |  |  | 6 | % |  |  | 6 | %
Company stock |  |  | 5 | % |  |  | 7 | % |  |  | 5 | % |  |  | 7 | %
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 |  |  | 20 | % |  |  | 25 | %
Real estate |  |  | 15 | % |  |  | 18 | %
Absolute return |  |  | 5 | % |  |  | 7 | %
Company stock/Real return |  |  | 10 | % |  |  | 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 |
Interest-bearing cash |  | $ | 351 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 351 |  |  | $ | 100 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 100 |
Common stock |  |  | 3,768 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 3,768 |  |  |  | 1,015 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 1,015 |
Real estate |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 11,154 |  |  |  | 11,154 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 3,023 |  |  |  | 3,023 |
Common collective funds |  |  | — |  |  |  | 14,802 |  |  |  | 2,301 |  |  |  | 17,103 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 4,115 |  |  |  | 601 |  |  |  | 4,716 |
Mutual funds |  |  | 47,181 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 47,181 |  |  |  | 11,511 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 11,511 |
Total fair value |  | $ | 51,300 |  |  | $ | 14,802 |  |  | $ | 13,455 |  |  | $ | 79,557 |  |  | $ | 12,626 |  |  | $ | 4,115 |  |  | $ | 3,624 |  |  | $ | 20,365 |
|  | Hecla |  |  | Lucky Friday |
|  | Level 1 |  |  | Level 2 |  |  | Level 3 |  |  | Total |  |  | Level 1 |  |  | Level 2 |  |  | Level 3 |  |  | Total |
Interest-bearing cash |  | $ | 1,924 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 1,924 |  |  | $ | 550 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 550 |
Common stock |  |  | 4,973 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 4,973 |  |  |  | 1,340 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 1,340 |
Real estate |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 8,974 |  |  |  | 8,974 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 2,389 |  |  |  | 2,389 |
Common collective funds |  |  | — |  |  |  | 12,379 |  |  |  | 2,108 |  |  |  | 14,487 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 3,427 |  |  |  | 550 |  |  |  | 3,977 |
Mutual funds |  |  | 38,326 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 38,326 |  |  |  | 10,417 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 10,417 |
Total fair value |  | $ | 45,223 |  |  | $ | 12,379 |  |  | $ | 11,082 |  |  | $ | 68,684 |  |  | $ | 12,307 |  |  | $ | 3,427 |  |  | $ | 2,939 |  |  | $ | 18,673 |
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, 2017 |  | $ | 8,974 |  |  | $ | 2,108 |  |  | $ | 2,389 |  |  | $ | 550 |
Net unrealized gains on assets held at the reporting date |  |  | 350 |  |  |  | 104 |  |  |  | 94 |  |  |  | 28 |
Purchases |  |  | 1,830 |  |  |  | 2,108 |  |  |  | 540 |  |  |  | 550 |
Sales |  |  | — |  |  |  | (2,019 | ) |  |  | — |  |  |  | (527 | )
Ending balance at December 31, 2017 |  | $ | 11,154 |  |  | $ | 2,301 |  |  | $ | 3,023 |  |  | $ | 601 |
|  | Hecla |  |  | Lucky Friday |
|  | Real estate |  |  | Common collective funds |  |  | Real estate |  |  | Common collective funds |
Beginning balance at January 1, 2016 |  | $ | 10,326 |  |  | $ | 4,462 |  |  | $ | 2,856 |  |  | $ | 1,309 |
Net unrealized gains on assets held at the reporting date |  |  | 283 |  |  |  | 80 |  |  |  | 71 |  |  |  | 20 |
Purchases |  |  | 333 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 90 |  |  |  | — |
Sales |  |  | (1,968 | ) |  |  | (2,434 | ) |  |  | (628 | ) |  |  | (779 | )
Ending balance at December 31, 2016 |  | $ | 8,974 |  |  | $ | 2,108 |  |  | $ | 2,389 |  |  | $ | 550 |
Schedule of Expected Benefit Payments [Table Text Block] |
Year Ending December 31, |  | Pension Plans |
2018 |  | $ | 6,400 |
2019 |  |  | 6,571 |
2020 |  |  | 7,278 |
2021 |  |  | 7,404 |
2022 |  |  | 8,044 |
Years 2023-2027 |  |  | 41,589 |
Schedule of Net Funded Status [Table Text Block] |
|  | December 31, 2017 |  |  | December 31, 2016 |
|  | ABO Exceeds Plan Assets |  |  | Plan Assets Exceed ABO |  |  | ABO Exceeds Plan Assets |  |  | Plan Assets Exceed ABO |
Projected benefit obligation |  | $ | 147,023 |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 132,270 |  |  | $ | — |
Accumulated benefit obligation |  |  | 141,775 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 128,102 |  |  |  | — |
Fair value of plan assets |  |  | 99,922 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | 87,357 |  |  |  | — |
Schedule of Defined Benefit Plan Amounts Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Table Text Block] |
| Pension Benefits
Unamortized net (gain)/loss | $ | 40,579
Unamortized prior service cost | 1,664
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 | $ | 3,726
Amortization of prior service benefit | 61

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