A method and apparatus is provided for tracking a thermally floating wavelength signal channel grid generated at an optical transmitter (Tx) in an optical transmission system or optical network where the wavelengths of the individual Tx signal channels may move in wavelength due to, for example, changes in ambient temperature at the optical transmitter but the channel spacing between Tx signal channels along the thermally floating Tx wavelength grid remains constant. An optical receiver (Rx) is provided that has a demultiplexed signal channel grid that may have a different channel spacing from that of the floating Tx wavelength grid, that is either larger, the same as, or smaller Rx grid spacing compared to the Tx grid spacing, and includes a number of demultiplexed channel signal outputs along an Rx channel grid in excess of the number of Tx signal channels on the Tx channel grid so that the optical receiver is capable of detecting the floating Tx channel grid and providing electrical output signals representative of the Tx channel signals transported over the optical network.