Very true about scoping out any other anglers out and about. Solitude is as important as great water conditions or rocks causing chutes and riffles. If one direction is stacked up with other fishermen like telephone poles, I'd definitely head the other direction, but definitely try under and below the bridge.
If fishing pressures high, I'll just bend off the water into the woods for 100 yards or until I find a nice stretch of open water.
Another thing that would influence my direction would be any bigger animals on the water. Moose, Bear, Elk cow or calf, or a dog. No need to have a little race or hide and seek in hip boots.
A big infuence would be if I'd fished the stretch before. If so, I would likely repeat my path to try to catch that 'big' one that rose but did not strike or any remembered hot spots.
A prior trip could work the other way if during that trip, I discovered an obstruction or major tributary, posted land, etc. but this scenario was supposed to be open access.
As far as my recollection of luck on the river though, barring other influences, my memory brings back more fish downstream on the left bank for some reason, which surprises me since I mostly fish across and upstream unless its a pool, letting the current control/tumble the spinner downstream.