The success of the WDM technology in backbone networks also pushes the development and implementation of optical packet-switched WDM local and metropolitan area networks. Local and metropolitan area optical WDM networks are emerging as viable and cost-effective solutions for many telecommunication operators and service providers who have to face an extremely growing bandwidth demand and expensive additional fiber installation costs. Thus, the strong need for the development of novel high-speed architectures and protocols for such networks arises. In this text, different basic and novel medium access control (MAC) protocols for WDM-based LANs/MANs, typically belonging to the group of single-hop networks, are proposed and analyzed. Thereby, solutions for the direct and efficient support of distinct Quality-of-Service (QoS) classes over the WDM transmission layer are provided. As well as a comprehensive ov erview on the state-of-the-art photonic metro networks, highly dynamic reservation-based access protocols relying on the passive-star and the ring topology are presented while assuming the deployment of wavelength-tunable transceivers at the network nodes. Optical Packet Access Protocols for WDM Networks provides both a comprehensive survey on existing WDM local and metro lightwave systems and the design of novel highly efficient medium access control protocols with QoS support for such systems.