Apparatus and associated methods of detecting optical carriers and measuring characteristics thereof provide optical carrier wavelength determination and measurement of other characteristics with improved precision. In a preferred embodiment, a method of detecting optical carrier wavelengths utilizes a controller to direct a stabilization circuit to adjust an optical filter to sample selected wavelength portions of an optical spectrum. The controller then evaluates the samples' intensities and directs the stabilization circuit to adjust the filter to sample other selected wavelength portions of the spectrum based upon the results of the evaluation.