South Yuba access question

[Bitter Dave]

I was thinking of heading over to the south Yuba this weekend or the next. I've fished the Yuba once at the Hammon Grove area and didn't find a lot of access points for wading. I want to explore the area around and above the 20 bridge this time.

What issues are there with access around that area?
Are there any access points upstream of the 20 bridge? I see some roads in the Smartsville area.
Can you access the north part of the river upstream of the 20 bridge?

Thanks!

[Ralph]

BD-
Downstream of the hwy 20 bridge you'll find quite a few access points off the rutted haul road on the south bank. The Yuba changes all the time, but this year so far it seems the fishing has been consistently better on the lower river.
If you stay below the willow line you can walk/wade upstream of the bridge (start under bridge on north side). The lower the flows the further you can walk and stay on public lands. At current flows (2,000 cfs) the average wader will be able to get 3/4 mile upstream. Other than the river corridor itself there are no roads or public access points between the hwy 20 bridge and Englebrite.
FYI the South Yuba ends at Lake Englebrite about 6 miles upstream. The section were talking about is the main stem.

[Bitter Dave]

Thanks Ralph! So it appears that I've only fished around the north banks. When you say the "lower river", do you mean below the dam, or below the 20 bridge? Am I allowed to access/drive/park all along the gravel area on the south bank (with a car-based SUV)?

Any suggests on areas I should start at? Looking at Google Maps it appears to turn into a maze around the Hammond Grove area on the south side.

Thanks!

[Ralph]

Below the 20 bridge. The closer to Daguerre the better (in my experience this season). The haul road is public. The property between the road and the "willow line" is owned by Western Aggregates and posted private, but by the volume of OHV traffic on the benches and bars, they aren't actively kicking vehicles off. Campers and picnickers with fires are getting busted as are target shooters.

It is a maze. You'll have to explore, but basically the most heavily used roads lead to the river.