In this work we propose use of infinite impulse response adaptive line enhancer (IIR ALE) filters for detection of gravitational waves from coalescing binaries. We extend our previous work and define an adaptive matched filter structure. Filter performance is analyzed in terms of the tracking capability and determination of filter parameters. Furthermore, following the Neyman-Pearson strategy, receiver operating characteristics are derived, with closedform expressions for detection threshold, false alarm, and detection probability. Extensive tests demonstrate the effectiveness of adaptive filters both in terms of small computational cost and robustness.